AUTHOR, 
OF 

iNTMEMIDSTOFAUR^S 


I?1 


CAUf.  UJOAK*.  LO, 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES 


BOOKS  BY  ROBERT  BARR* 

In  the  Midst  of  Alarms. 
The  Face  and  the  Mask* 
A  Woman  Intervenes* 


"  iiv  JDVI.  !  veil-  IIAVK  A  I'Komi.iors  HKAi)  i-'ok  nrsiM-:ss,  scsv." -/',(A,  _/•>. 


A  WOMAN 
INTERVENES 

OR 

THE  MISTRESS  OF  THE  MINE 


BY 

ROBERT  BARR 

AUTHOR  OF   "  IN  THE  MIDST  OF  ALARMS," 
"  THE   FACE   AND   THE    MASK," 
"  FROM   WHOSE   BOURNE,"   ETC. 


Profusely  Illustrated  by 
Hal  Hurst 


12orfe  anb  Uonbon 

Frederick  A,  Stokes  Company 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,    J895, 
By  Robert  Barr 

Copyright,  J896, 
By  Frederick  A.  Stokes  Company 


To  My  Friend, 
Horace  Hart,  of  Oxford 


2125545 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  managing  editor  of  the  New  York  Argus  sat  at 
his  desk  with  a  deep  frown  on  his  face,  looking  out 
from  under  his  shaggy  eyebrows  at  the  young  man  who 
had  just  thrown  a  huge  fur  overcoat  on  the  back  of  one 
chair,  while  he  sat  down  himself  on  another. 

"  I  got  your  telegram,"  began  the  editor.  "  Am  I  to 
understand  from  it  that  you  have  failed  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  young  man,  without  the 
slightest  hesitation. 

"  Completely  ?  " 

"  Utterly." 

"  Didn't  you  even  get  a  synopsis  of  the  documents?  " 

"Not  a  hanged  synop." 

The  editor's  frown  grew  deeper.  The  ends  of  his 
fingers  drummed  nervously  on  the  desk. 

"  You  take  failure  rather  jauntily,  it  strikes  me,"  he 
said  at  last. 

"  What's  the  use  of  taking  it  any  other  way?  I  have 
the  consciousness  of  knowing  that  I  did  my  best." 

"  Um,  yes.  It's  a  great  consolation,  no  doubt,  but  it 

I 


2  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

doesn't  count  in  the  newspaper  business.  What  did 
you  do  ?  " 

"  I  received  your  telegram  at  Montreal,  and  at  once 
left  for  Burntpine — most  outlandish  spot  on  earth.  I 
found  that  Kenyon  and  Wentworth  were  staying  at  the 
only  hotel  in  the  place.  Tried  to  worm  out  of  them 
what  their  reports  were  to  be.  They  were  very  polite, 
but  I  didn't  succeed.  Then  I  tried  to  bribe  them,  and 
they  ordered  me  out  of  the  room." 

"  Perhaps  you  didn't  offer  them  enough." 

"  I  offered  double  what  the  London  Syndicate  was  to 
pay  them  for  making  the  report,  taking  their  own  word 
for  the  amount.  I  couldn't  offer  more,  because  at  that 
point  they  closed  the  discussion  by  ordering  me  out  of 
the  room.  I  tried  to  get  the  papers  that  night,  on  the 
quiet,  out  of  Wentworth's  valise,  but  was  unfortunately 
interrupted.  The  young  men  were  suspicious,  and 
next  morning  they  left  for  Ottawa  to  post  the  reports, 
as  I  gathered  afterwards,  to  England.  I  succeeded  in 
getting  hold  of  the  reports,  but  I  couldn't  hang  on. 
There  are  too  many  police  in  Ottawa  to  suit  me." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me,"  said  the  editor,  "  that  you 
actually  had  the  reports  in  your  hands,  and  that  they 
were  taken  from  you  ?  " 

"  Certainly  I  had  ;  and  as  to  their  being  taken  from 
me,  it  was  either  that  or  gaol.  They  don't  mince 
matters  in  Canada,  as  they  do  in  the  United  States,  you 
know." 

"  But  I  should  think  a  man  of  your  shrewdness  would 
have  been  able  to  get  at  least  a  synopsis  of  the  reports 
before  letting  them  out  of  his  possession." 

"  My  dear  sir,"  said  the  reporter,  rather  angry,  "the 
whole  thing  covered  I  forget  how  many  pages  of  foolscap 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  3 

paper,  and  was  the  most  mixed-up  matter  I  ever  saw 
in  my  life.  I  tried — I  sat  in  my  room  at  the  hotel,  and 
did  my  best  to  master  the  details.  It  was  full  of 
technicalities,  and  I  couldn't  make  it  out.  It  required 
a  mining  expert  to  get  the  hang  of  their  phrases  and 
figures,  so  I  thought  the  best  thing  to  do  was  to 
telegraph  it  all  straight  through  to  New  York.  I  knew 
it  would  cost  a  lot  of  money,  but  I  knew,  also,  you 
didn't  mind  that ;  and  I  thought,  perhaps,  somebody 
here  could  make  sense  out  of  what  baffled  me  ;  besides, 
I  wanted  to  get  the  documents  out  of  my  possession 
just  as  quickly  as  possible." 

"  Hem,"  said  the  editor.  "You  took  no  notes  what- 
ever? " 

"  No,  I  did  not.  I  had  no  time.  I  knew  the  mo- 
ment they  missed  the  documents  they  would  have  the 
detectives  on  my  track.  As  it  was,  I  was  arrested 
when  I  entered  the  telegraph-office." 

"  Well,  it  seems  to  me,"  said  the  managing  editor, 
"  if  I  had  once  had  the  papers  in  my  hand,  I  should 
not  have  let  them  go  until  I  had  got  the  gist  of  what 
was  in  them." 

"  Oh,  it's  all  very  well  for  you  to  say  so,"  replied  the 
reporter,  with  the  free  and  easy  manner  in  which  an 
American  newspaperman  talks  to  his  employer;  "but 
I  can  tell  you,  with  a  Canadian  gaol  facing  a  man,  it  is 
hard  to  decide  what  is  best  to  do.  I  couldn't  get  out 
of  the  town  for  three  hours,  and  before  the  end  of  that 
time  they  would  have  had  my  description  in  the  hands 
of  every  policeman  in  the  place.  They  knew  well 
enough  who  took  the  papers,  so  my  only  hope  lay  in 
getting  the  thing  telegraphed  through,  and  if  that  had 
been  accomplished,  everything  would  have  been  all 


4  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

right.  I  would  have  gone  to  gaol  with  pleasure  if  I 
had  got  the  particulars  through  to  New  York." 

"  Well,  what  are  we  to  do  now?"  asked  the  editor. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  The  two  men  will  be  in 
New  York  very  shortly.  They  sail,  I  understand,  on 
the  Caloric,  which  leaves  in  a  week.  If  you  think  you 
have  a  reporter  who  can  get  the  particulars  out  of  these 
men,  I  should  be  very  pleased  to  see  you  set  him  on. 
I  tell  you  it  isn't  so  easy  to  discover  what  an  English- 
man doesn't  want  you  to  know." 

"  Well,"  said  the  editor,  "  perhaps  that's  true.  I  will 
think  about  it.  Of  course  you  did  your  best,  and  I 
appreciate  your  efforts  ;  but  I  am  sorry  you  failed." 

"  You  are  not  half  so  sorry  as  I  am,"  said  Rivers,  as 
he  picked  up  his  big  Canadian  fur  coat  and  took  his 
leave. 

The  editor  did  think  about  it.  He  thought  for 
fully  two  minutes.  Then  he  dashed  off  a  note  on  a 
sheet  of  paper,  pulled  down  the  little  knob  that  rang 
the  District  Messenger  alarm,  and  when  the  uniformed 
boy  appeared,  gave  him  the  note,  saying : 

"  Deliver  this  as  quickly  as  you  can." 

The  boy  disappeared,  and  the  result  of  his  trip  was 
soon  apparent  in  the  arrival  of  a  very  natty  young 
woman  in  the  editorial  rooms.  She  was  dressed  in  a 
neatly-fitting  tailor-made  costume,  and  was  a  very 
pretty  girl,  who  looked  about  nineteen,  but  was,  in 
reality,  somewhat  older.  She  had  large,  appealing 
blue  eyes,  with  a  tender,  trustful  expression  in  them, 
which  made  the  ordinary  man  say :  "  What  a  sweet, 
innocent  look  that  girl  has !  "  yet  what  the  young 
woman  didn't  know  about  New  York  was  not  worth 
knowing.  She  boasted  that  she  could  get  State  secrets 


"  DO   YOU   WISH    TO   TAKE    A  TRIP   TO   EUROPE  ?  "—Page  J. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  5 

from  dignified  members  of  the  Cabinet,  and  an  ordinary 
Senator  or  Congressman  she  looked  upon  as  her  lawful 
prey.  That  which  had  been  told  her  in  the  strict- 
est confidence  had  often  become  the  sensation  of  the 
next  day  in  the  paper  she  represented.  She  wrote  over 
a  nom  de  guerre,  and  had  tried  her  hand  at  nearly 
everything.  She  had  answered  advertisements,  ex- 
posed rogues  and  swindlers,  and  had  gone  to  an  hotel 
as  chambermaid,  in  order  to  write  her  experiences. 
She  had  been  arrested  and  locked  up,  so  that  she  might 
write  a  three-column  account,  for  the  Sunday  edition  of 
the  Argus,  of  "  How  Women  are  Treated  at  Police 
Headquarters."  The  editor  looked  upon  her  as  one  of 
the  most  valuable  members  of  his  staff,  and  she  was 
paid  accordingly. 

She  came  into  the  room  with  the  self-possessed  air 
of  the  owner  of  the  building,  took  a  seat,  after  nodding 
to  the  editor,  and  said,  "  Well  ?  " 

"  Look  here,  Jennie,"  began  that  austere  individual, 
"  do  you  wish  to  take  a  trip  to  Europe  ?  " 

"That  depends,"  said  Jennie;  "this  is  not -just  the 
time  of  year  that  people  go  to  Europe  for  pleasure, 
you  know." 

"  Well,  this  is  not  exactly  a  pleasure  trip.  The  truth 
of  the  matter  is,  Rivers  has  been  on  a  job  and  has 
bungled  it  fearfully,  besides  nearly  getting  himself 
arrested." 

The  young  woman's  eyes  twinkled.  She  liked  any- 
thing with  a  spice  of  danger  in  it,  and  did  not  object  to 
hear  that  she  was  expected  to  succeed  where  a  mere 
masculine  reporter  had  failed. 

The  editor  continued  : 

"  Two  young  men  are  going  across  to  England  on 


6  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

the  Caloric.  It  sails  in  a  week.  I  want  you  to  take  a 
ticket  for  Liverpool  by  that  boat,  and  obtain  from 
either  of  those  two  men  the  particulars — the  full  par- 
ticulars— of  reports  they  have  made  on  some  mining 
properties  in  Canada.  Then  you  must  land  at  Queens- 
town  and  cable  a  complete  account  to  the  Argus." 

"  Mining  isn't  much  in  my  line,"  said  Miss  Jennie, 
with  a  frown  on  her  pretty  brow.  "  What  sort  of  mines 
were  they  dealing  with — gold,  silver,  copper,  or  what  ?  " 

"  They  are  certain  mines  on  the  Ottawa  River." 

"  That's  rather  indefinite." 

"  I  know  it  is.  I  can't  give  you  much  information 
about  the  matter.  I  don't  know  myself,  to  tell  the 
truth,  but  I  know  it  is  vitally  important  that  we  should 
get  a  synopsis  of  what  the  reports  of  these  young  men 
are  to  be.  A  company,  called  the  London  Syndicate, 
has  been  formed  in  England.  This  syndicate  is  to 
acquire  a  large  number  of  mines  in  Canada,  if  the 
accounts  given  by  the  present  owners  are  anything  like 
correct.  Two  men,  Kenyon  and  Wentworth — the  first 
a  mining  engineer,  and  the  second  an  experienced  ac- 
countant— have  been  sent  from  London  to  Canada, 
one  to  examine  the  mines,  the  other  to  examine  the 
books  of  the  various  corporations.  Whether  the  mines 
are  bought  or  not  will  depend  a  good  deal  on  the 
reports  these  two  men  have  in  their  possession.  The 
reports,  when  published,  will  make  a  big  difference,  one 
way  or  other,  on  the  Stock  Exchange.  I  want  to  have 
the  gist  of  them  before  the  London  Syndicate  sees 
them.  It  will  be  a  big  thing  for  the  Argus  if  it  is  the 
first  in  the  field,  and  I  am  willing  to  spend  a  pile  o{ 
hard  cash  to  succeed.  So  don't  economize  on  your 
cable  expenses." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  7 

"  Very  well  ;  have  you  a  book  on  Canadian  mines  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  that  we  have ;  but  there  is  a  book 
here,  "The  Mining  Resources  of  Canada";  will  that 
be  of  any  use?  " 

"  I  shall  need  something  of  that  sort.  I  want  to  be 
a  little  familiar  with  the  subject,  you  know." 

"  Quite  so,"  said  the  editor  ;  "  I  will  see  what  can  be 
got  in  that  line.  You  can  read  it  before  you  start,  and 
on  the  way  over." 

"  All  right,"  said  Miss  Jennie  ;  "  and  am  I  to  take  my 
pick  of  the  two  young  men?" 

"Certainly,"  answered  the  editor.  "You  will  see 
them  both,  and  can  easily  make  up  your  mind  which 
will  the  sooner  fall  a  victim." 

"  The  Caloric  sails  in  a  week,  does  it  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Then  I  shall  need  at  least  five  hundred  dollars  to 
get  new  dresses  with." 

"Good  gracious  !  "  cried  the  editor. 

"  There  is  no  '  good  gracious  '  about  it.  I'm  going 
to  travel  as  a  millionaire's  daughter,  and  it  isn't  likely 
that  one  or  two  dresses  will  do  me  all  the  way  over." 

"  But  you  can't  get  new  dresses  made  in  a  week," 
said  the  editor. 

"  Can't  I  ?  Well,  you  just  get  me  the  five  hundred 
dollars,  and  I'll  see  about  the  making." 

The  editor  jotted  the  amount  down. 

"  You  don't  think  four  hundred  dollars  would  do  ?  " 
he  said. 

"No,  I  don't.  And,  say,  am  I  to  get  a  trip  to  Paris 
after  this  is  over,  or  must  I  come  directly  back?" 

"  Oh,  I  guess  we  can  throw  in  the  trip  to  Paris,"  said 
the  editor. 


8  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  What  did  you  say  the  names  of  the  young  men  are  ? 
Or  are  they  not  young?  Probably  they  are  old  fogies, 
if  they  are  in  the  mining  business." 

"  No  ;  they  are  young,  they  are  shrewd,  and  they  are 
English.  So  you  see  your  work  is  cut  out  for  you. 
Their  names  are  George  Wentworth  and  John  Kenyon." 

"  Oh,  Wentworth  is  my  man,"  said  the  young 
woman  breezily.  "John  Kenyon  !  I  know  just  what 
sort  of  a  person  he  is — sombre  and  taciturn.  Sounds 
too  much  like  John  Bunyan,  or  John  Milton,  or  names 
of  that  sort." 

"Well,  I  wouldn't  be  too  sure  about  it  until  you  see 
them.  Better  not  make  up  your  mind  about  the 
matter." 

"When  shall  I  call  for  the  five  hundred  dollars?" 

"Oh,  that  you  needn't  trouble  about.  The  better 
way  is  to  get  your  dresses  made,  and  tell  the  people  to 
send  the  bills  to  our  office." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  young  woman.  "  I  shall  be 
ready.  Don't  be  frightened  at  the  bills  when  they  come 
in.  If  they  come  up  to  a  thousand  dollars,  remember 
I  told  you  I  would  let  you  off  for  five  hundred  dollars." 

The  editor  looked  at  her  for  a  moment,  and  seemed 
to  reflect  that  perhaps  it  was  better  not  to  give  a  young 
lady  unlimited  credit  in  New  York.  So  he  said : 

"  Wait  a  bit ;  I'll  write  you  out  the  order,  and  you  can 
take  it  downstairs." 

Miss  Jennie  took  the  paper  when  it  was  offered  to 
her,  and  disappeared.  When  she  presented  the  order 
in  the  business  office,  the  cashier  raised  his  eyebrows 
as  he  noticed  the  amount,  and,  with  a  low  whistle,  said 
to  himself : 

"  Five  hundred  dollars !  I  wonder  what  game  Jennie 
Brewster's  up  to  now." 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  last  bell  had  rung.  Those  who  were  going 
ashore  had  taken  their  departure.  Crowds  of  human 
beings  clustered  on  the  pier-head,  and  at  the  large  door- 
ways of  the  warehouse  which  stood  open  on  the  steamer 
wharf.  As  the  big  ship  slowly  backed  out  there  was  a 
fluttering  of  handkerchiefs  from  the  mass  on  the  pier, 
and  an  answering  flutter  from  those  who  crowded  along 
the  bulwarks  of  the  steamer.  The  tug  slowly  pulled 
the  prow  of  the  vessel  round,  and  at  last  the  engines 
of  the  steamship  began  their  pulsating  throbs — throbs 
that  would  vibrate  night  and  day  until  the  steamer 
reached  an  older  civilization.  The  crowd  on  the  pier 
became  more  and  more  indistinct  to  those  on  board, 
and  many  of  the  passengers  went  below,  for  the  air  was 
bitterly  cold,  and  the  boat  was  forcing  its  way  down  the 
bay  among  huge  blocks  of  ice. 

Two,  at  least,  of  the  passengers  had  taken  little 
interest  in  the  departure.  They  were  leaving  no  friends 
behind  them,  and  were  both  setting  their  faces  toward 
friends  at  home. 

"  Let  us  go  down,"  said  Wentworth  to  Kenyon,  "  and 
see  that  we  get  seats  together  at  table  before  all  are 
taken." 

"  Very   good,"    replied    his   companion,   and     they 

9 


io  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

descended  to  the  roomy  saloon,  where  two  long  tables 
were  already  laid  with  an  ostentatious  display  of  silver, 
glassware,  and  cutlery,  which  made  many,  who  looked 
on  this  wilderness  of  white  linen  with  something  like 
dismay,  hope  that  the  voyage  would  be  smooth, 
although,  as  it  was  a  winter  passage,  there  was  every 
chance  it  would  not  be.  The  purser  and  two  of  his 
assistants  sat  at  one  of  the  shorter  tables  with  a  plan 
before  them,  marking  off  the  names  of  passengers  who 
wished  to  be  together,  or  who  wanted  some  particular 
place  at  any  of  the  tables.  The  smaller  side-tables 
were  still  uncovered  because  the  number  of  passengers 
at  that  season  of  the  year  was  comparatively  few.  As 
the  places  were  assigned,  one  of  the  helpers  to  the  purser 
wrote  the  names  of  the  passengers  on  small  cards,  and 
the  other  put  the  cards  on  the  tables. 

One  young  woman,  in  a  beautifully-fitting  traveling 
gown,  which  was  evidently  of  the  newest  cut  and  design, 
stood  a  little  apart  from  the  general  group  which  sur- 
rounded the  purser  and  his  assistants.  She  eagerly 
scanned  every  face,  and  listened  attentively  to  the 
names  given.  Sometimes  a  shade  of  disappointment 
crossed  her  brow,  as  if  she  expected  some  particular 
person  to  possess  some  particular  name  which  that 
particular  person  did  not  have.  At  last  her  eyes 
sparkled. 

"  My  name  is  Wentworth,"  said  the  young  man 
whose  turn  it  was. 

"Ah!  any  favorite  place,  Mr.  Wentworth  ?"  asked 
the  purser  blandly,  as  if  he  had  known  Wentworth  all 
his  life. 

"  No,  we  don't  care  where  we  sit  ;  but  my  friend 
Mr.  Kenyon  and  myself  would  like  places  together." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  n 

"  Very  good  ;  you  had  better  come  to  my  table," 
replied  the  purser.  "  Numbers  23  and  24 — Mr.  Kenyon 
and  Mr.  Wentworth." 

The  steward  took  the  cards  that  were  given  him,  and 
placed  them  to  correspond  with  the  numbers  the  purser 
had  named.  Then  the  young  woman  moved  gracefully 
along,  as  if  she  were  interested  in  the  names  upon  the 
table.  She  looked  at  Wentworth's  name  for  a  moment, 
and  saw  in  the  place  next  to  his  the  name  of  Mr.  Brown. 
She  gave  a  quick,  apprehensive  glance  around  the 
saloon,  and  observed  the  two  young  men  who  had  ar- 
ranged for  their  seats  at  table  now  walking  leisurely 
toward  the  companion-way.  She  took  the  card  with 
the  name  of  Mr.  Brown  upon  it,  and  slipped  upon  the 
table  another  on  which  was  written  the  words  "  Miss 
Jennie  Brewster."  Mr.  Brown's  card  she  placed  on  the 
spot  from  which  she  had  taken  her  own. 

"  I  hope  Mr.  Brown  is  not  particular  which  place  he 
occupies,"  said  Jennie  to  herself;  "but  at  any  rate  I 
shall  see  that  I  am  early  for  dinner,  and  I'm  sure  Mr. 
Brown,  whoever  he  is,  will  not  be  so  ungallant  as  to 
insist  on  having  this  place  if  he  knows  his  card  was 
here." 

Subsequent  events  proved  her  surmise  regarding 
Mr.  Brown's  indifference  perfectly  well  founded.  That 
young  man  searched  for  his  card,  found  it,  and  sat 
down  on  the  chair  opposite  the  young  woman,  who 
already  occupied  her  chair,  and  was,  in  fact,  the  first 
one  at  table.  Seeing  there  would  be  no  unseemly  dis- 
pute about  places,  she  began  to  plan  in  her  own 
mind  how  she  would  first  attract  the  attention  of  Mr. 
Wentworth.  While  thinking  how  best  to  approach 
her  victim,  Jennie  heard  his  voice. 


12  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Here  you  are,  Kenyon  ;  here  are  our  places." 

"Which  is  mine?"  said  the  voice  of  Kenyon. 

"  It  doesn't  matter,"  answered  Wentvvorth,  and  then 
a  thrill  of  fear  went  through  the  gentle  heart  of  Miss 
Jennie  Brewster.  She  had  not  thought  of  the  young 
man  not  caring  which  seat  he  occupied,  and  she  dreaded 
the  possibility  of  finding  herself  next  to  Kenyon  rather 
than  Wentworth.  Her  first  estimate  of  the  characters 
of  the  two  men  seemed  to  be  correct.  She  always 
thought  of  Kenyon  as  Bunyan,  and  she  felt  certain 
that  Wentworth  would  be  the  easier  man  of  the  two  to 
influence.  The  next  moment  her  fears  were  allayed, 
for  Kenyon,  giving  a  rapid  glance  at  the  handsome 
young  woman,  deliberately  chose  the  seat  furthest 
from  her,  and  Wentworth,  with  "  I  beg  your  pardon," 
slipped  in  and  sat  down  on  the  chair  beside  her. 

"Now,"  thought  Jennie,  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  "Our 
positions  are  fixed  for  the  meals  of  the  voyage."  She 
had  made  her  plans  for  beginning  an  acquaintance 
with  the  young  man,  but  they  were  rendered  unneces- 
sary by  the  polite  Mr.  Wentworth  handing  her  the 
bill  of  fare. 

"  Oh,  thank  you,"  said  the  girl,  in  a  low  voice, 
which  was  so  musical  that  Wentworth  glanced  at  her 
a  second  time  and  saw  how  sweet  and  pretty  and 
innocent  she  was. 

"  I'm  in  luck,"  said  the  unfortunate  young  man  to 
himself.  Then  he  remarked  aloud:  "We  have  not 
many  ladies  with  us  this  voyage." 

"No,"  replied  Miss  Brewster;  "I  suppose  nobody 
crosses  at  this  time  of  the  year  unless  compelled  to." 

"  I  can  answer  for  two  passengers  that  such  is  the 
case." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  13 

"  Do  you  mean  yourself  as  one?" 

"  Yes,  myself  and  my  friend." 

"  How  pleasant  it  must  be,"  said  Miss  Brewster,  "  to 
travel  with  a  friend !  Then  one  is  not  lonely.  I, 
unfortunately,  am  traveling  alone." 

"  I  fancy,"  said  the  gallant  Wentworth,  "  that  if  you 
are  lonely  while  on  board  ship,  it  will  be  entirely  your 
own  fault." 

Miss  Brewster  laughed  a  silvery  little  laugh. 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  she  said.  "  I  am  going  to 
that  Mecca  of  all  Americans — Paris.  My  father  is  to 
meet  me  there,  and  we  are  then  going  on  to  the  Riviera 
together." 

"Ah,  that  will  be  very  pleasant,"  said  Wentworth. 
"  The  Riviera  at  this  season  is  certainly  a  place  to  be 
desired." 

"  So  I  have  heard,"  she  replied. 

"  Have  you  not  been  across  before  ?  " 

"  No,  this  is  my  first  trip.  I  suppose  you  have 
crossed  many  times?" 

"  Oh  no,"  answered  the  Englishman  ;  "  this  is  only 
my  second  voyage,  my  first  having  been  the  one  that 
took  me  to  America." 

"  Ah,  then  you  are  not  an  American,"  returned  Miss 
Brewster,  with  apparent  surprise. 

She  imagined  that  a  man  is  generally  flattered  when 
a  mistake  of  this  kind  is  made.  No  matter  how  proud 
he  may  be  of  his  country,  he  is  pleased  to  learn  that 
there  is  no  provincialism  about  him  which,  as  the 
Americans  say,  "  gives  him  away." 

"  I  think,"  said  Wentworth,  "  as  a  general  thing,  I 
am  not  taken  for  anything  but  what  I  am — an  English- 
man." 


H  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"I  have  met  so  few  Englishmen,"  said  the  guileless 
young  woman,  "  that  really  I  should  not  be  expected  to 
know." 

"  I  understand  it  is  a  common  delusion  among 
Americans  that  every  Englishman  drops  his  '  h's,'  and 
is  to  be  detected  in  that  way." 

Jennie  laughed  again,  and  George  Wentworth  thought 
it  one  of  the  prettiest  laughs  he  had  ever  heard. 

Poor  Kenyon  was  rather  neglected  by  his  friend 
during  the  dinner.  He  felt  a  little  gloomy  while  the 
courses  went  on,  and  wished  he  had  an  evening  paper. 
Meanwhile,  Wentworth  and  the  handsome  girl  beside 
him  got  on  very  well  together.  At  the  end  of  the  dinner 
she  seemed  to  have  some  difficulty  in  getting  up  from 
her  chair,  and  Wentworth  showed  her  how  to  turn 
it  around,  leaving  her  free  to  rise.  She  thanked  him 
prettily. 

"  I  am  going  on  deck,"  she  said,  turning  to  go  ; 
"  I  am  so  anxious  to  get  my  first  glimpse  of  the  ocean 
at  night  from  the  deck  of  a  steamer." 

"  I  hope  you  will  let  me  accompany  you,"  returned 
young  Wentworth.  "  The  decks  are  rather  slippery, 
and  even  when  the  boat  is  not  rolling  it  isn't  quite  safe 
for  a  lady  unused  to  the  motion  of  a  ship  to  walk  alone 
in  the  dark." 

"Oh,  thank  you  very  much,"  replied  Miss  Brewster, 
with  elusion.  "  It  is  kind  of  you,  I  am  sure;  and  if 
you  promise  not  to  let  me  rob  you  of  the  pleasure  of 
your  after-dinner  cigar,  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  have 
you  accompany  me.  I  will  meet  you  at  the  top  of  the 
stairway  in  five  minutes." 

"You  are  getting  on,"  said  Kenyon,  as  the  young 
woman  disappeared, 


-  WENTWORTH    SHOWED   HER   HOW   TO   TURN    IT   AROUND."—  Pa&  14. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  15 

"  What's  the  use  of  being  on  board  ship,"  said  Went- 
worth,  "  if  you  don't  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity 
for  making  shipboard  acquaintances?  There  is  an  un- 
conventionality  about  life  on  a  steamer  that  is  not 
without  its  charm,  as  perhaps  you  will  find  out  before 
the  voyage  is  over,  John." 

"You  are  merely  trying  to  ease  your  conscience 
because  of  your  heartless  desertion  of  me." 

George  Wentworth  had  waited  at  the  top  of  the 
companion-way  a  little  more  than  five  minutes,  when 
Miss  Brewster  appeared,  wrapped  in  a  cloak  edged 
with  fur,  which  lent  an  additional  charm  to  her  com- 
plexion, set  off  as  it  was  by  a  jaunty  steamer  cap. 
They  stepped  out  on  the  deck,  and  found  it  not  at  all 
so  dark  as  they  expected.  Little  globes  of  electric 
light  were  placed  at  regular  intervals  on  the  walls  of 
the  deck  building.  Overhead  was  stretched  a  sort  of 
canvas  roof,  against  which  the  sleety  rain  pattered. 
One  of  the  sailors,  with  a  rubber  mop,  was  pushing 
into  the  gutter  by  the  side  of  the  ship  the  moisture 
from  the  deck.  All  around  the  boat  the  night  was 
as  black  as  ink,  except  here  and  there  where  the  white 
curl  of  a  wave  showed  luminous  for  a  moment  in  the 
darkness. 

Miss  Brewster  insisted  that  Wentworth  should  light 
his  cigar,  which,  after  some  persuasion,  he  did.  Then 
he  tucked  her  hand  snugly  under  his  arm,  and  she 
adjusted  her  step  to  suit  his.  They  had  the  promenade 
all  to  themselves.  The  rainy  winter  night  was  not  so 
inviting  to  most  of  the  passengers  as  the  comfortable 
rooms  below.  Kenyon,  however,  and  one  or  two 
others  came  up,  and  sat  on  the  steamer  chairs  that 
were  tied  to  the  brass  rod  which  ran  along  the  deck- 


16  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

house  wall.  He  saw  the  glow  of  Wentworth's  cigar 
as  the  couple  turned  at  the  further  end  of  the  walk, 
and  when  they  passed  him  he  heard  a  low  murmur  of 
conversation,  catching  now  and  then  a  snatch  of 
silvery  laughter.  It  was  not  because  Wentworth  had 
deserted  him  that  Kenyon  felt  so  uncomfortable  and 
depressed.  He  could  not  tell  just  what  it  was, 
but  there  had  settled  on  his  mind  a  strange,  uneasy 
foreboding.  After  a  time  he  went  down  into  the  sa- 
loon and  tried  to  read,  but  could  not,  and  so  wandered 
along  the  seemingly  endless  narrow  passage  to  his  room, 
which  was  Wentworth's  as  well,  and,  in  nautical  phrase, 
"  turned  in."  It  was  late  when  his  companion  came. 

"  Asleep,  Kenyon  ?  "  asked  the  latter. 

"  No,"  was  the  answer. 

"By  George  !  John,  she  is  one  of  the  most  charm- 
ing girls  I  ever  met.  Wonderfully  clever,  too  ;  makes 
a  man  feel  like  a  fool  beside  her.  She  has  read  nearly 
everything.  Has  opinions  on  all  our  authors,  a  great 
many  of  whom  I've  never  heard  of.  I  wish,  for  your 
sake,  John,  she  had  a  sister  on  board." 

"  Thanks,  old  man  ;  awfully  good  of  you,  I'm  sure," 
said  Kenyon.  "Don't  you  think  it's  about  time  to 
stop  raving,  get  into  your  bunk,  and  turn  out  that  con- 
founded light  ?  " 

"All  right,  growler,  I  will." 

Meanwhile,  in  her  own  state-room,  Miss  Jennie 
Brewster  was  looking  at  her  reflection  in  the  glass. 
As  she  shook  out  her  long  hair  until  it  rippled  down 
her  back,  she  smiled  sweetly,  and  said  to  herself : 

"  Poor  Mr.  Wentworth !  Only  the  first  night  out, 
and  he  told  me  his  name  was  George." 


"  MISS   BREWSTER   APPEARED,    WRAPPED    IN    A   CLOAK   EDGED   WITH   FUR.'V— 

Page  IS. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  second  day  out  was  a  pleasant  surprise  for  all 
on  board  who  had  made  up  their  minds  to  a  disagree- 
able winter  passage.  The  air  was  clear,  the  sky  blue 
as  if  it  were  spring-time,  instead  of  midwinter.  They 
were  in  the  Gulf  Stream.  The  sun  shone  brightly  and 
the  temperature  was  mild.  Nevertheless,  it  was  an 
uncomfortable  day  for  those  who  were  poor  sailors. 
Although  there  did  not  seem,  to  the  casual  observer, 
to  be  much  of  a  sea  running,  the  ship  rolled  atro- 
ciously. Those  who  had  made  heroic  resolutions  on 
the  subject  were  sitting  in  silent  misery  in  their  deck- 
chairs,  which  had  been  lashed  to  firm  stanchions. 
Few  were  walking  the  clean  bright  deck,  because 
walking  that  morning  was  a  gymnastic  feat.  Three 
or  four  who  evidently  wished  to  show  they  had  crossed 
before,  and  knew  all  about  it,  managed  to  make  their 
way  along  the  deck.  Those  recumbent  in  the  steamer- 
chairs  watched  with  lazy  interest  the  pedestrians  who 
now  and  then  stood  still,  leaning  apparently  far  out 
of  the  perpendicular,  as  the  deck  inclined  downward. 
Sometimes  the  pedestrian's  feet  slipped,  and  he  shot 
swiftly  down  the  incline.  Such  an  incident  was  inva- 
riably welcomed  by  those  who  sat.  Even  the  invalids 
smiled  wanly. 

17 


i8  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

Kenyon  reclined  in  his  deck-chair  with  his  eyes 
fixed  on  the  blue  sky.  His  mind  was  at  rest  about 
the  syndicate  report  now  that  it  had  been  mailed  to 
London.  His  thoughts  wandered  to  his  own  affairs, 
and  he  wondered  whether  he  would  make  money  out 
of  the  option  he  had  acquired  at  Ottawa.  He  was 
not  an  optimistic  man,  and  he  doubted. 

After  their  work  for  the  London  Syndicate  was 
finished,  the  young  men  had  done  a  little  business  on 
their  own  account.  They  visited  together  a  mica- 
mine  that  was  barely  paying  expenses,  and  which  the 
proprietors  were  anxious  to  sell.  The  mine  was  owned 
by  the  Austrian  Mining  Company,  whose  agent,  Von 
Brent,  was  interviewed  by  Kenyon  in  Ottawa.  The 
young  men  obtained  an  option  on  this  mine  for  three 
months  from  Von  Brent.  Kenyon's  educated  eye  had 
told  him  that  the  white  mineral  they  were  placing  on 
the  dump  at  the  mouth  of  the  mine  was  even  more 
valuable  than  the  mica  for  which  they  were  mining. 
Kenyon  was  scrupulously  honest — a  quality  somewhat 
at  a  discount  in  the  mining  business — and  it  seemed  to 
him  hardly  the  fair  thing  that  he  should  take  advantage 
of  the  ignorance  of  Von  Brent  regarding  the  mineral 
on  the  dump.  Wentworth  had  some  trouble  in  over- 
coming his  friend's  scruples.  He  claimed  that  knowl- 
edge always  had  to  be  paid  for,  in  law,  medicine,  or 
mineralogy,  and  therefore  that  they  were  perfectly 
justified  in  profiting  by  their  superior  wisdom.  So  it 
came  about  that  the  young  men  took  to  England  with 
them  a  three  months'  option  on  the  mine. 

Wentworth  had  been  walking  about  all  morning 
like  a  lost  spirit  apparently  seeking  what  was  not.  "  It 
can't  be,"  he  said  to  himself.  No ;  the  thought  was 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  19 

too  horrible,  and  he  dismissed  it  from  his  mind,  merely 
conjecturing  that  perhaps  she  was  not  an  early  riser, 
which  was  indeed  the  case.  No  one  who  works  on  a 
morning  newspaper  ever  takes  advantage  of  the  lark's 
example. 

"  Well,  Kenyon,"  said  Wentworth,  "  you  look  as  if 
you  were  writing  a  poem,  or  doing  something  that 
required  deep  mental  agony." 

"  The  writing  of  poems,  my  dear  Wentworth,  I  leave 
to  you.  I  am  doing  something  infinitely  more 
practical — something  that  you  ought  to  be  at.  I  am 
thinking  what  we  are  to  do  with  our  mica-mine  when 
we  get  it  over  to  London." 

"  Oh,  '  sufficient  for  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof/  " 
cried  Wentworth  jauntily ;  "  besides,  half  an  hour's 
thinking  by  a  solid-brained  fellow  like  you  is  worth 
a  whole  voyage  of  my  deepest  meditation." 

"  She  hasn't  appeared  yet  ?  "  said  Kenyon. 

"  No,  dear  boy ;  no,  she  has  not.  You  see,  I  make 
no  pretence  with  you  as  other  less  ingenuous  men 
might.  No,  she  has  not  appeared,  and  she  has  not 
breakfasted." 

"  Perhaps "  began  Kenyon. 

"  No,  no  !  "  cried  Wentworth  ;  "  I'll  have  no  '  per- 
haps.' I  thought  of  that,  but  I  instantly  dismissed 
the  idea.  She's  too  good  a  sailor." 

"  It  requires  a  very  good  sailor  to  stand  this  sort  of 
thing.  It  looks  so  unnecessary,  too.  I  wonder  what 
the  ship  is  rolling  about  ?  " 

"  I  can't  tell,  but  she  seems  to  be  rolling  about  half 
over.  I  say,  Kenyon,  old  fellow,  I  feel  horrible  pangs 
of  conscience  about  deserting  you  in  this  way,  and  so 
early  in  the  voyage.  I  didn't  do  it  last  time,  did  I  ?  " 


20  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  You  were  a  model  traveling  companion  on  the 
last  voyage,"  returned  Kenyon. 

"  I  don't  wish  to  make  impertinent  suggestions,  my 
boy,  but  allow  me  to  tell  you  that  there  are  some  other 
very  nice  girls  on  board." 

"  You  are  not  so  bad  as  I  feared,  then,"  replied 
Kenyon,  "  or  you  wouldn't  admit  that.  I  thought  you 
had  eyes  for  no  one  but  Miss — Miss — I  really  didn't 
catch  her  name." 

"  I  don't  mind  telling  you  confidentially,  Kenyon, 
that  her  name  is  Jennie." 

"  Dear  me  !  "  cried  Kenyon,  "  has  it  got  so  far  as  that? 
Doesn't  it  strike  you,  Wentworth,  that  you  are  some- 
what in  a  hurry?  It  seems  decidedly  more  American 
than  English.  Englishmen  are  apt  to  weigh  matters 
a  little  more." 

"There  is  no  necessity  for  weighing,  my  boy.  I 
don't  see  any  harm  in  making  the  acquaintance  of  a 
pretty  girl  when  you  have  a  long  voyage  before  you." 

"  Well,  I  wouldn't  let  it  grow  too  serious,  if  I  were 
you." 

"  There  isn't  the  slightest  danger  of  seriousness 
about  the  affair.  On  shore  the  young  lady  wouldn't 
cast  a  second  look  at  me.  She  is  the  daughter  of  a 
millionaire.  Her  father  is  in  Paris,  and  they  are 
going  on  to  the  Riviera  in  a  few  weeks." 

"  All  the  more  reason,"  said  Kenyon,  "  that  you 
shouldn't  let  this  go  too  far.  Be  on  your  guard,  my 
boy.  I've  heard  it  said  that  American  girls  have  the 
delightful  little  practice  of  leading  a  man  on  until  it 
comes  to  a  certain  point,  and  then  arching  their  pretty 
eyebrows,  looking  astonished,  and  forgetting  all  about 
him  afterwards.  You  had  better  wait  until  we  make 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  21 

our  fortunes  on  this  mica-mine,  and  then,  perhaps, 
your  fair  millionairess  may  listen  to  you." 

"John,"  cried  Wentworth,  "you  are  the  most  cold- 
blooded man  I  know  of.  I  never  noticed  it  so  par- 
ticularly before,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  years  and 
years  of  acquaintance  with  minerals  of  all  kinds,  hard 
and  flinty,  transform  a  man.  Be  careful  that  you  don't 
become  like  the  minerals  you  work  among." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  anything  that  has  less  ten- 
dency to  soften  a  man  than  long  columns  of  figures. 
I  think  the  figures  you  work  at  are  quite  as 
demoralizing  as  the  minerals  I  have  spent  my  life 
with." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,  but  a  girl  would  have  to  be 
thrown  into  your  arms  before  you  would  admit  that 
such  a  thing  as  a  charming  young  lady  existed." 

"  If  I  make  all  the  money  I  hope  to  make  out  of  the 
mica-mine,  I  expect  the  young  ladies  will  not  be 
thrown  into  my  arms,  but  at  my  head.  Money  goes 
a  long  way  toward  reconciling  a  girl  to  marriage." 

"  It  certainly  goes  a  long  way  toward  reconciling 
her  mother  to  the  marriage.  I  don't  believe,"  said 
Wentworth  slowly,  "  that  my — that  Miss  Brewster 
ever  thinks  about  money." 

"  She  probably  doesn't  need  to,  but  no  doubt  there 
is  someone  who  does  the  thinking  for  her.  If  her 
father  is  a  millionaire,  and  has,  like  many  Americans, 
made  his  own  money,  you  may  depend  upon  it  he  will 
do  the  thinking  for  her,  and  if  Miss  Brewster  should 
prove  to  be  thoughtless  in  the  matter,  the  old  gentle- 
man will  very  speedily  bring  you  both  to  your  senses. 
It  would  be  different  if  you  had  a  title." 


22  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"I  haven't  any,"  replied  Wentvvorth,  "except  the 
title  George  Wentworth,  accountant,  with  an  address 
in  the  City  and  rooms  in  the  suburbs." 

"  Precisely ;  if  you  were  Lord  George  Wentworth, 
or  even  Sir  George,  or  Baron  Wentworth  of  sortie- 
thing  or  other,  you  might  have  a  chance ;  as  it  is,  the 
title  of  accountant  would  not  go  far  with  an  American 
millionaire,  or  his  daughter  either." 

"  You  are  a  cold,  calculating  wretch." 

"  Nothing  of  the  sort.  I  merely  have  my  senses 
about  me,  and  you  haven't  at  this  particular  moment. 
You  wouldn't  think  of  trusting  a  book-keeper's  figures 
without  seeing  his  vouchers.  Well,  my  boy,  you 
haven't  the  vouchers — at  least,  not  yet,  so  that  is  why 
I  ask  you  to  give  your  attention  to  what  we  are  going 
to  do  with  our  mine;  and  if  you  take  my  advice  you 
will  not  think  seriously  about  American  millionaires 
or  their  daughters." 

George  Wentworth  jumped  to  his  feet,  the  ship  gave 
a  lurch  at  that  particular  moment,  and  he  no  sooner 
found  his  feet  than  he  nearly  lost  them  again  ;  how- 
ever, he  was  an  expert  at  balancing  himself  as  well  as 
his  accounts,  and,  though  for  the  moment  his  attention 
was  occupied  in  keeping  his  equilibrium,  he  looked 
down  on  his  companion,  still  placidly  reclining  in  his 
chair,  with  a  smile  on  his  face. 

"  Kenyon,"  he  said,  "  I  am  going  to  look  for  another 
girl." 

"  Is  one  not  enough  for  you  ?  " 

"  No,  I  want  two — one  for  myself,  and  one  for  you. 
No  man  can  sympathize  with  another  unless  he  is  in 
the  same  position  himself.  John,  I  want  sympathy, 
and  I'm  not  getting  it." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  23 

"  What  you  need  more  urgently,"  said  Kenyon 
calmly,  "  is  common-sense,  and  that  I  am  trying  to 
supply." 

"  You  are  doing  your  duty  in  that  direction  ;  but  a 
man  doesn't  live  by  common-sense  alone.  There 
comes  a  time  when  common-sense  is  a  drug  in  the 
market.  I  don't  say  it  has  come  to  me  yet,  but  I'm 
resolved  to  get  you  into  a  more  sympathetic  mood,  so 
I  am  going  to  find  a  suitable  young  lady  for  you." 

"  More  probably  you  are  going  to  look  for  your  own," 
answered  Kenyon,  as  his  friend  walked  off  and,  dis- 
appearing round  the  corner,  crossed  to  the  other  side 
of  the  ship. 

Kenyon  did  not  turn  again  to  his  figures  when  his 
companion  left  him.  He  mused  over  the  curiously 
rapid  turn  of  circumstances.  He  hoped  Wentworth 
would  not  take  it  too  seriously,  for  he  felt  that,  some- 
how or  other,  Miss  Brewster  was  just  the  sort  of  girl 
to  throw  him  over  after  she  had  whiled  away  a  tedious 
voyage.  Of  course  he  could  not  say  this  to  his  friend, 
who  evidently  admired  Miss  Brewster,  but  he  had 
said  as  much  as  he  could  to  put  Wentworth  on  his 
guard. 

"Now,"  said  Kenyon  to  himself,  "if  she  had  been  a 
girl  like  that,  I  wouldn't  have  minded."  The  girl  "  like 
that "  was  a  young  woman  who  for  half  an  hour  had  been 
walking  the  deck  alone  with  marvelous  skill.  She  was 
not  so  handsome  as  the  American  girl,  but  she  had  a 
better  complexion,  and  there  was  a  color  in  her  cheek 
which  seemed  to  suggest  England.  Her  dress  was  not 
quite  so  smart  nor  so  well-fitting  as  that  of  the  Ameri- 
can girl ;  but,  nevertheless,  she  was  warmly  and  sensibly 
clad,  and  a  brown  Tarn  o'  Shanter  covered  her  fair 


24  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

head.  The  tips  of  her  hands  were  in  the  pockets  of 
her  short  blue-cloth  jacket,  and  she  walked  the  deck 
with  a  firm,  reliant  tread  that  aroused  the  admiration 
of  John  Kenyon.  "  If  she  were  only  a  girl  like  that," 
he  repeated  to  himself,  "  I  wouldn't  mind.  There's 
something  fresh  and  genuine  about  her.  She  makes 
me  think  of  the  breezy  English  downs." 

As  she  walked  back  and  forward,  one  or  two  young 
men  seemingly  made  an  attempt  to  become  acquainted 
with  her,  but  it  was  evident  to  Kenyon  that  the  young 
woman  had  made  it  plain  to  them,  politely  enough, 
that  she  preferred  walking  alone,  and  they  raised  their 
sea-caps  and  left  her. 

"  She  doesn't  pick  up  the  first  man  who  comes,"  he 
mused. 

The  ship  was  beginning  to  roll  more  and  more,  and 
yet  the  day  was  beautiful  and  the  sea  seemingly  calm. 
Most  of  the  promenaders  had  left  the  deck.  Two  or 
three  of  them  had  maintained  their  equilibrium  with 
gratifying  success  which  engendered  the  pride  that 
goeth  before  a  fall,  but  the  moment  came  at  last  when 
their  feet  slipped  and  they  had  found  themselves 
thrown  against  the  bulwark  of  the  steamer.  Then  they 
had  laughed  a  little  in  a  crestfallen  manner,  picked 
themselves  up,  and  promenaded  the  deck  no  more. 
Many  of  those  who  were  lying  in  the  steamer  chairs 
gave  up  the  struggle  and  went  down  to  their  cabins. 
There  was  a  momentary  excitement  as  one  chair  broke 
from  its  fastenings  and  slid  down  with  a  crash  against 
the  bulwarks.  The  occupant  was  picked  up  in  a  hys- 
terical condition  and  taken  below.  The  deck  steward 
tied  the  chair  more  firmly,  so  that  the  accident  would 
not  happen  again.  The  young  English  girl  was  oppo- 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  25 

site  John  Kenyon  when  this  disaster  took  place,  and 
her  attention  being  diverted  by  fear  for  the  safety  of 
the  occupant  of  the  sliding  chair,  her  care  for  her- 
self was  withdrawn  at  the  very  moment  when  it  was 
most  needed.  The  succeeding  lurch  which  the  ship 
gave  to  the  other  side  was  the  most  tremendous  of  the 
day.  The  deck  rose  until  the  girl  leaning  outward 
could  almost  touch  it  with  her  hand,  then,  in  spite  of 
herself,  she  slipped  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning 
against  the  chair  John  Kenyon  occupied,  and  that  trip- 
ping her  up,  flung  her  upon  him  with  an  unexpected- 
ness that  would  have  taken  his  breath  away  if  the  sud- 
den landing  of  a  plump  young  woman  upon  him  had 
not  accomplished  the  same  thing.  The  fragile  deck- 
chair  gave  way  with  a  crash,  and  it  would  be  hard  to 
say  which  was  the  more  discomfited  by  the  sudden 
catastrophe,  John  Kenyon  or  the  girl. 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  hurt,"  he  managed  to  stammer. 

"  Don't  think  about  me  !  "  she  cried.  "  I  have  broken 
your  chair,  and — and " 

"  The  chair  doesn't  matter,"  cried  Kenyon.  "  It  was 
a  flimsy  structure  at  best.  I  am  not  hurt,  if  that  is 
what  you  mean — and  you  mustn't  mind  it." 

Then  there  came  to  his  recollection  the  sentence  of 
George  Wentworth  :  "  A  girl  will  have  to  be  thrown 
into  your  arms  before  you  will  admit  that  such  a  thing 
as  a  charming  young  woman  exists." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

EDITH  LONGWORTH  could  hardly  be  said  to  be  a 
typical  representative  of  the  English  girl.  She  had 
the  English  girl's  education,  but  not  her  training. 
She  had  lost  her  mother  in  early  life,  which  makes  a 
great  difference  in  a  girl's  bringing  up,  however  wealthy 
her  father  may  be  ;  and  Edith's  father  was  wealthy, 
there  was  no  doubt  of  that.  If  you  asked  any  City 
man  about  the  standing  of  John  Longworth,  you 
would  learn  that  the  "  house  "  was  well  thought  of. 
People  said  he  was  lucky,  but  old  John  Longworth 
asserted  that  there  was  no  such  thing  as  luck  in  busi- 
ness— in  which  statement  he  was  very  likely  incor- 
rect. He  had  large  investments  in  almost  every 
quarter  of  the  globe.  When  he  went  into  any  enter- 
prise, he  went  into  it  thoroughly.  Men  talk  about 
the  inadvisability  of  putting  all  one's  eggs  into  one 
basket,  but  John  Longworth  was  a  believer  in  doing 
that  very  thing — and  in  watching  the  basket.  Not 
that  he  had  all  his  eggs  in  one  basket,  or  even  in  one 
kind  of  a  basket ;  but  when  John  Longworth  was 
satisfied  with  the  particular  variety  of-  basket  pre- 
sented to  him,  he  put  a  large  number  of  eggs  in  it. 
When  anything  was  offered  for  investment — whether 
it  was  a  mine  or  a  brewery  or  a  railway — John  Long- 
worth  took  an  expert's  opinion  upon  it,  and  then  the 
26 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  27 

chances  were  that  he  would  disregard  the  advice 
given.  He  was  in  the  habit  of  going  personally  to  see 
what  had  been  offered  to  him.  If  the  enterprise  were 
big  enough,  he  thought  little  of  taking  a  voyage  to  the 
other  end  of  the  world  for  the  sole  purpose  of  looking 
the  investment  over.  It  was  true  that  in  many  cases 
he  knew  nothing  whatever  of  the  business  he  went  to 
examine,  but  that  did  not  matter ;  he  liked  to  have  a 
personal  inspection  where  a  large  amount  of  his  money 
was  to  be  placed.  Investment  seemed  to  be  a  sort  of 
intuition  with  him.  Often,  when  the  experts'  opinions 
were  unanimously  in  favor  of  the  project,  and  when 
everything  appeared  to  be  perfectly  safe,  Longworth 
would  pay  a  personal  visit  to  the  business  offered  for 
sale,  and  come  to  a  sudden  conclusion  not  to  have 
anything  to  do  with  it.  He  would  give  no  reasons  to 
his  colleagues  for  his  change  of  front ;  he  simply 
refused  to  entertain  the  proposal  any  further,  and 
withdrew.  Several  instances  of  this  kind  had  occurred. 
Sometimes  a  large  and  profitable  business,  held  out  in 
the  prospectus  to  be  exceedingly  desirable,  had  come 
to  nothing,  and  when  the  company  was  wound  up, 
people  remembered  what  Longworth  had  said  about 
it.  So  there  came  to  be  a  certain  superstitious  feeling 
among  those  who  knew  him,  that,  if  old  Mr.  Long- 
worth  was  in  a  thing,  the  thing  was  safe,  and  if  a 
company  promoter  managed  to  get  his  name  on  the 
prospectus,  his  project  was  almost  certain  to  succeed. 

When  Edith  Longworth  was  pronounced  finished  so 
far  as  education  was  concerned,  she  became  more  and 
more  the  companion  of  her  father,  and  he  often 
jokingly  referred  to  her  as  his  man  of  business,  She 


28  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

went  with  him  on  his  long  journeys,  and  so  had  been 
several  times  to  America,  once  to  the  Cape,  and  one 
long  voyage,  with  Australia  as  the  objective  point.Jiad 
taken  her  completely  round  the  world.  She  inherited 
much  of  her  father's  shrewdness,  and  there  is  no  doubt 
that,  if  Edith  Longvvorth  had  been  cast  upon  her  own 
resources,  she  would  have  become  an  excellent  woman 
of  business.  She  knew  exactly  the  extent  of  her 
father's  investments,  and  she  was  his  confidante  in  a 
way  that  few  women  are  with  their  male  relatives. 
The  old  man  had  a  great  faith  in  Edith's  opinion, 
although  he  rarely  acknowledged  it.  Having  been 
together  so  much  on  such  long  trips,  they  naturally 
became,  in  a  way,  boon  companions.  Thus,  Edith's 
education  was  very  unlike  that  of  the  ordinary  English 
girl,  and  this  particular  training  caused  her  to  develop 
into  a  different  kind  of  a  woman  than  she  might  have 
been  had  her  mother  lived. 

Perfect  confidence  existed  between  father  and 
daughter,  and  only  lately  had  there  come  a  shadow 
upon  their  relations,  about  which  neither  ever  spoke 
to  the  other  since  their  first  conversation  on  the 
subject. 

Edith  had  said,  with  perhaps  more  than  her  usual 
outspokenness,  that  she  had  no  thought  whatever  of 
marriage,  and  least  of  all  had  her  thoughts  turned 
toward  the  man  her  father  seemed  to  have  chosen. 
In  answer  to  this,  her  father  had  said  nothing,  but  Edith 
knew  him  too  well  to  believe  that  he  had  changed  his 
mind  about  the  matter.  The  fact  that  he  had  invited 
her  cousin  to  join  them  on  this  particular  journey 
showed  her  that  he  evidently  believed  all  that  was 
necessary  was  to  throw  them  more  together  than  had 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  29 

been  the  case  previously ;  and,  although  Edith  was 
silent,  she  thought  her  father  had  not  the  same  shrewd- 
ness in  these  matters  that  he  showed  in  the  purchasing 
of  a  growing  business.  Edith  had  been  perfectly  civil 
to  the  young  man — as  she  would  have  been  to  anyone 
— but  he  saw  that  she  preferred  her  own  company  to 
his ;  and  so,  much  to  the  disgust  of  Mr.  Longworth, 
he  spent  most  of  his  time  at  cards  in  the  smoking- 
room,  whereas,  according  to  the  elder  gentleman's 
opinion,  he  should  have  been  promenading  the  deck 
with  his  cousin. 

William  Longworth,  the  cousin,  was  inclined  to  be 
a  trifle  put  out,  for  he  looked  upon  himself  as  quite 
an  eligible  person,  one  whom  any  girl  in  her  senses 
would  be  glad  to  look  forward  to  as  a  possible  husband. 
He  made  no  pretence  of  being  madly  in  love  with  Edith, 
but  he  thought  the  marriage  would  be  an  admirable 
thing  all  round.  She  was  a  nice  girl,  he  said  to  himself, 
and  his  uncle's  money  was  well  worth  thinking  about. 
In  fact,  he  was  becoming  desirous  that  the  marriage 
sUould  take  place  ;  but,  as  there  was  no  one  upon  whom 
he  could  look  as  a  rival,  he  had  the  field  to  himself.  He 
would  therefore  show  Miss  Edith  that  he  was  by  no 
means  entirely  dependent  for  his  happiness  upon  her 
company  ;  and  this  he  proceeded  to  do  by  spending  his 
time  in  the  smoking-room,  and  playing  cards  with  his 
fellow-passengers.  It  was  quite  evident  to  anyone  who 
saw  Edith,  that,  if  this  suited  him,  it  certainly  suited 
her  ;  so  they  rarely  met  on  shipboard  except  at  table, 
where  Edith's  place  was  between  her  father  and  her 
cousin.  Miss  Longworth  and  her  cousin  had  had  one 
brief  conversation  on  the  subject  of  marriage.  He 
spoke  of  it  rather  jauntily,  as  being  quite  a  good 


30  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

arrangement,  but  she  said  very  shortly  that  she  had  no 
desire  to  change  her  name. 

"  You  don't  need  to,"  said  Cousin  William ;  "  my 
name  is  Longworth,  and  so  is  yours." 

"  It  is  not  a  subject  for  a  joke,"  she  answered. 

"  I  am  not  joking,  my  dear  Edith.  I  am  merely  tell- 
ing you  what  everybody  knows  to  be  true.  You  surely 
don't  deny  that  my  name  is  Longworth?" 

"  I  don't  mean  to  deny  or  affirm  anything  in  relation 
to  the  matter,"  replied  the  young  woman,  "and  you 
will  oblige  me  very  much  if  you  will  never  recur  to 
this  subject  again." 

And  so  the  young  man  betook  himself  once  more  to 
the  smoking-room. 

On  this  trip  Edith  had  seen  a  good  deal  of  American 
society.  People  over  there  had  made  it  very  pleasant 
for  her,  and,  although  the  weather  was  somewhat 
trying,  she  had  greatly  enjoyed  the  sleigh-rides  and 
the  different  festivities  which  winter  brings  to  the 
citizen  of  Northern  America.  Her  father  and  her 
cousin  had  gone  to  America  to  see  numerous  brew- 
eries that  were  situated  in  different  parts  of  the 
country,  and  which  it  was  proposed  to  combine  into 
one  large  company.  They  had  made  a  Western  city 
their  headquarters,  and  while  Edith  was  enjoying  her- 
self with  her  newly-found  friends,  the  two  men  had 
visited  the  breweries  in  different  sections  of  the  coun- 
try— all,  however,  near  the  city  where  Edith  was 
staying.  The  breweries  seemed  to  be  in  a  very  pros- 
perous condition,  although  the  young  man  declared 
the  beer  they  brewed  was  the  vilest  he  had  ever 
tasted,  and  he  said  he  wouldn't  like  to  have  anything 
to  do  with  the  production  of  it,  even  if  it  did  turn  in 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  31 

money.  His  uncle  had  not  tried  the  beer,  but  con- 
fined himself  solely  to  the  good  old  bottled  English 
ale,, which  had  increased  in  price,  if  not  in  excellence, 
by  its  transportation.  But  there  was  something  about 
the  combination  that  didn't  please  him,  and,  from  the 
few  words  he  dropped  on  the  subject,  his  nephew  saw 
that  Longworth  was  not  going  to  be  a  member  of  the 
big  Beer  Syndicate.  The  intention  had  been  to  take 
a  trip  to  Canada,  and  Edith  had  some  hopes  of  seeing 
the  city  of  Montreal  in  its  winter  dress  ;  but  that 
visit  had  been  abandoned,  as  so  much  time  had  been 
consumed  in  the  Western  States.  So  they  began 
their  homeward  voyage,  with  the  elder  Longworth 
sitting  a  good  deal  in  his  deck-chair,  and  young  Long- 
worth  spending  much  of  his  time  in  the  smoking- 
room,  while  Edith  walked  the  deck  alone.  And  this 
was  the  lady  whom  Fate  threw  into  the  arms  of  John 
Kenyon.  * 


CHAPTER  V. 

STEAMER  friendships  ripen  quickly.  It  is  true  that, 
as  a  general  thing,  they  perish  with  equal  suddenness. 
The  moment  a  man  sets  his  foot  on  solid  land  the 
glamour  of  the  sea  seems  to  leave  him,  and  the  friend 
to  whom  he  was  ready  to  swear  eternal  fealty  while 
treading  the  deck,  is  speedily  forgotten  on  shore. 
Edith  Longworth  gave  no  thought  to  the  subject  of 
the  innocent  nature  of  steamer  friendships  when  she 
reviewed  in  her  own  mind  her  pleasant  walk  along  the 
deck  with  Kenyon.  She  had  met  many  interesting 
people  during  her  numerous  voyages,  but  they  had  all 
proved  to  be  steamer  acquaintances,  whose  names  she 
had  now  considerable  difficulty  in  remembering.  Per- 
haps she  would  not  have  given  a  second  thought  to 
Mr.  Kenyon  that  night  if  it  had  not  been  for  some  ill- 
considered  remarks  her  cousin  saw  fit  to  make  at  the 
dinner-table. 

"  Who  was  that  fellow  you  were  walking  with  to- 
day ?  "  young  Longworth  asked. 

Edith  smiled  upon  him  pleasantly,  and  answered : 
"  Mr.  Kenyon,  you  mean,  I  suppose  ?  " 
"  Oh,  you  know  his  name,  do  you  ?  "  he  answered 
gruffly. 

"  Certainly,"  she  replied  ;  "  I  would  not  walk  with  a 
gentleman  whose  name  I  did  not  know." 
32 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  33 

"  Really  ?  "  sneered  her  cousin.  "  And  pray  were  you 
introduced  to  him  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  think,"  answered  Edith  quietly,  "  any  per- 
son has  a  right  to  ask  me  that  question  except  my 
father.  He  has  not  asked  it,  and,  as  you  have,  I  will 
merely  answer  that  I  was  introduced  to  Mr.  Kenyon." 

"  I  did  not  know  you  had  any  mutual  acquaintance 
on  board  who  could  make  you  known  to  each  other." 

"  Well,  this  ceremony  was  a  little  informal.  We 
were  introduced  by  our  mutual  friend,  old  Father 
Neptune.  Father  Neptune,  being,  as  you  know,  a  little 
boisterous  this  morning,  took  the  liberty  of  flinging  me 
upon  Mr.  Kenyon.  I  weigh  something  more  than  a 
feather,  and  the  result  was — although  Mr.  Kenyon  was 
good  enough  to  say  he  was  uninjured — that  the  chair 
on  which  he  sat  had  not  the  same  consideration  for  my 
feelings,  and  it  went  down  with  a  crash.  I  thought  Mr. 
Kenyon  should  take  my  chair  in  exchange  for  the  one  I 
had  the  misfortune  of  breaking.  Mr.  Kenyon  thought 
otherwise.  He  said  he  was  a  mining  engineer,  and 
that  he  could  not  claim  to  be  a  very  good  one,  if  he 
found  any  difficulty  in  mending  a  deck-chair.  It  seems 
he  succeeded  in  doing  so,  and  that  is  the  whole 
history  of  my  introduction  to,  and  my  intercourse 
with,  Mr.  Kenyon,  Mining  Engineer." 

"  Most  interesting  and  romantic,"  replied  the  young 
man ;  "  and  do  you  think  that  your  father  approves  of 
your  picking  up  indiscriminate  acquaintances  in  this 
way  ?  " 

Edith,  flushing  a  little  at  this,  said : 

"  I  would  not  willingly  do  what  my  father  dis- 
approved of ; "  then  in  a  lower  voice  she  added : 
"  except,  perhaps,  one  thing." 


34  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

Her  father,  who  had  caught  snatches  of  the  conversa- 
tion, now  leaned  across  towards  his  nephew,  and  said 
warningly  : 

"  I  think  Edith  is  quite  capable  of  judging  for  herself. 
This  is  my  seventh  voyage  with  her,  and  I  have  always 
found  such  to  be  the  case.  This  happens  to  be  your 
first,  and  so,  were  I  you,  I  would  not  pursue  the  subject 
further." 

The  young  man  was  silent,  and  Edith  gave  her 
father  a  grateful  glance.  Thus  it  was  that,  while  she 
might  not  have  given  a  thought  to  Kenyon,  the  re- 
marks which  her  cousin  had  made,  brought  to  her  mind, 
when  she  was  alone,  the  two  young  men,  and  the  con- 
trast between  them  was  not  at  all  to  the  advantage  of 
her  cousin. 

The  scrubbing-brushes  on  the  deck  above  him  woke 
Kenyon  early  next  morning.  For  a  few  moments  after 
getting  on  deck  he  thought  he  had  the  ship  to  himself. 
One  side  of  the  deck  was  clean  and  wet  ;  on  the  other 
side  the  men  were  slowly  moving  the  scrubbing-brushes 
backward  and  forward,  with  a  drowsy  swish-swish. 
As  he  walked  up  the  deck,  he  saw  there  was  one  pas- 
senger who  had  been  earlier  than  himself. 

Edith  Longworth  turned  round  as  she  heard  his  step, 
and  her  face  brightened  into  a  smile  when  she  saw  who 
it  was. 

Kenyon  gravely  raised  his  steamer  cap  and  bade  her 
"  Good-morning." 

"  You  are  an  early  riser,  Mr.  Kenyon." 

"  Not  so  early  as  you  are,  I  see." 

"  I  think  I  am  an  exceptional  passenger  in  that  way," 
replied  the  girl.  "  I  always  enjoy  the  early  morning  at 
sea.  I  like  to  get  as  far  forward  on  the  steamer  as 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  35 

possible,  so  that  there  is  nothing  between  me  and  the 
boundless  anywhere.  Then  it  seems  as  if  the  world 
belongs  to  myself,  with  nobody  else  in  it." 

"  Isn't  that  a  rather  selfish  view?"  put  in  Kenyon. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  so.  There  is  certainly  nothing 
selfish  in  my  enjoyment  of  it ;  but,  you  know,  there 
are  times  when  one  wishes'lo  be  alone,  and  to  forget 
everybody." 

"  I  hope  I  have  not  stumbled  upon  one  of  those 
times." 

"  Oh,  not  at  all,  Mr.  Kenyon,"  replied  his  com- 
panion, laughing.  "  There  was  nothing  personal  in 
the  remark.  If  I  wished  to  be  alone,  I  would  have  no 
hesitation  in  walking  off.  I  am  not  given  to  hinting  ;  I 
speak  plainly — some  of  my  friends  think  a  little  too 
plainly.  Have  you  ever  been  on  the  Pacific  Ocean?" 

"Never." 

"  Ah,  there  the  mornings  are  delicious.  It  is  very 
beautiful  here  now,  but  in  summer  on  the  Pacific  some 
of  the  mornings  are  so  calm  and  peaceful  and  fresh, 
that  it  would  seem  as  if  the  world  had  been  newly 
made." 

"  You  have  traveled  a  great  deal,  Miss  Longworth. 
I  envy  you." 

"  I  often  think  I  am  a  person  to  be  envied,  but  there 
may  come  a  shipwreck  one  day,  and  then  I  shall  not  be 
in  so  enviable  a  position." 

"  I  sincerely  hope  you  may  never  have  such  an 
experience." 

"  Have  you  ever  been  shipwrecked,  Mr.  Kenyon  ?  " 

"  Oh  no  ;  my  traveling  experiences  are  very  limited. 
But  to  read  of  a  shipwreck  is  bad  enough." 

"  We    have   had  a  most  delightful   voyage   so    far. 


36  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

Quite  like  summer.  One  can  scarcely  believe  that 
we  left  America  in  the  depth  of  winter,  with  snow 
everywhere  and  the  thermometer  ever  so  far  below 
zero.  Have  you  mended  your  deck-chair  yet,  suffi- 
ciently well  to  trust  yourself  upon  it  again  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Kenyon,  with  a  laugh,  "  you  really  must 
not  make  fun  of  my  amateur  carpentering  like  that. 
As  I  told  you,  I  am  a  mining  engineer,  and  if  I  cannot 
mend  a  deck-chair,  what  would  you  expect  me  to  do 
with  a  mine?  " 

"  Have  you  had  much  to  do  with  mines?  "  asked  the 
young  woman. 

"  I  am  just  beginning,"  replied  Kenyon  ;  "  this,  in 
fact,  is  one  of  my  first  commissions.  I  have  been  sent 
with  my  friend  Wentworth  to  examine  certain  mines 
on  the  Ottawa  River." 

"The  Ottawa  River!"  cried  Edith.  "Are  you  one 
of  those  who  were  sent  out  by  the  London  Syndi- 
cate?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  Kenyon  with  astonishment. 
"What  do  you  know  about  it?" 

"Oh,  .1  know  everything  about  it.  Everything, 
except  what  the  mining  expert's  report  is  to  be,  and 
that  information,  I  suppose,  you  have  ;  so,  between  the 
two  of  us,  we  know  a  great  deal  about  the  fortunes  of 
the  London  Syndicate." 

"Really!  I  am  astonished  to  meet  a  young  lady  who 
knows  anything  about  the  matter.  I  understood  it 
was  rather  a  secret  combination  up  to  the  present." 

"  Ah  !  but,  you  see,  I  am  one  of  the  syndicate." 

"You!" 

"  Certainly,"  answered  Edith  Longworth,  laughing. 
"At  least,  my  father  is,  and  that  is  the  same  thing,  or 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  37 

almost  the  same  thing.  We  intended  to  go  to  Canada 
ourselves,  and  I  was  very  much  disappointed  at  not  go- 
ing. I  understand  that  the  sleighing,  and  the  snowshoe- 
ing,  and  the  tobogganing  are  something  wonderful." 

"  I  saw  very  little  of  the  social  side  of  life  in  the 
district,  my  whole  time  being  employed  at  the  mines  ; 
but  even  in  the  mining  village  where  we  stayed,  they 
had  a  snowshoe  club,  and  a  very  good  toboggan  slide 
— so  good,  in  fact,  that,  having  gone  down  once,  I 
never  ventured  to  risk  my  life  on  it  again." 

"  If  my  father  knew  you  were  on  board,  he  would  be 
anxious  to  meet  you.  Doubtless  you  know  the  Lon- 
don Syndicate  will  be  a  very  large  company." 

"  Yes,  I  am  aware  of  that." 

"And  you  know  that  a  great  deal  is  going  to  depend 
upon  your  report  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  that  is  so,  and  I  hope  the  syndicate  will 
find  my  report  at  least  an  honest  and  thorough  one." 

"  Is  the  colleague  who  was  with  you  also  on  board  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  is  here." 

"  He,  then,  was  the  accountant  who  was  sent  out?" 

"Yes,  and  he  is  a  man  who  does  his  business  very 
thoroughly,  and  I  think  the  syndicate  will  be  satisfied 
with  his  work." 

"  And  do  you  not  think  they  will  be  satisfied  with 
yours  also  ?  I  am  sure  you  did  your  work  conscien- 
tiously." 

Kenyon  almost  blushed  as  the  young  woman  made 
this  remark,  but  she  looked  intently  at  him,  and  he  saw 
that  her  thoughts  were  not  on  him,  but  on  the  large 
interests  he  represented. 

"Were  you  favorably  impressed  with  the  Ottawa  as 
a  mining  region  ?  "  she  asked. 


38  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Very  much  so,"  he  answered,  and,  anxious  to  turn 
the  conversation  away  from  his  own  report,  he  said : 
"  I  was  so  much  impressed  with  it  that  I  secured  the 
option  of  a  mine  there  for  myself." 

"  Oh  !  do  you  intend  to  buy  one  of  the  mines  there  ?  " 

Kenyon  laughed. 

"  No,  I  am  no  capitalist  seeking  investment  for  my 
money,  but  I  saw  that  the  mine  contained  possibilities 
of  producing  a  great  deal  of  money  for  those  who 
possess  it.  It  is  very  much  more  valuable,  in  my 
opinion,  than  the  owners  themselves  suspect ;  so  I 
secured  an  option  upon  it  for  three  months,  and  hope 
when  I  reach  England  to  form  a  company  to  take  it 
up." 

"  Well,  I  am  sure,"  said  the  young  lady,  "  if  you  are 
confident  that  the  mine  is  a  good  one,  you  could  see 
no  one  who  would  help  you  more  in  that  way  than  my 
father.  He  has  been  looking  at  a  brewery  business 
he  thought  of  investing  in,  but  which  he  has  concluded 
to  have  nothing  to  do  with,  so  he  will  be  anxious  to 
find  something  reliable  in  its  place.  How  much  would 
be  required  for  the  purchase  of  the  mine  you 
mention?" 

"  I  was  thinking  of  asking  fifty  thousand  pounds  for 
it,"  said  Kenyon,  flushing,  as  he  thought  of  his  own 
temerity  in  more  than  doubling  the  price  of  the  mine. 

However,  Wentworth  and  he  had  estimated  the  prob- 
able value  of  the  mine,  and  had  concluded  that  even 
selling  it  at  that  price, — which  would  give  them  thirty 
thousand  pounds  to  divide  between  them, — they  were 
selling  a  mine  that  was  really  worth  very  much  more, 
and  would  soon  pay  tremendous  dividends  on  the  fifty 
thousand  pounds.  He  expected  the  young  woman 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  39 

to  be  impressed  by  the  amount,  and  was  therefore, 
very  much  surprised  when  she  said : 

"  Fifty  thousand  pounds  !  Is  that  all?  Then  I  am 
afraid  my  father  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  it. 
He  only  deals  with  large  businesses,  and  a  company 
with  a  capitalization  of  fifty  thousand  pounds  I  am  sure 
he  would  not  look  at.'' 

"  You  talk  of  fifty  thousand  pounds,"  said  Kenyon, 
"  as  if  it  were  a  mere  trifle.  To  me  it  seems  an 
immense  fortune.  I  only  wish  I  had  it,  or  half  of  it." 

"  You  are  not  rich,  then  ? "  said  the  girl,  with 
apparent  interest. 

"  No,"  replied  the  young  man.     "  Far  otherwise." 

At  that  moment  the  elder  Mr.  Longworth  appeared 
in  the  door  of  the  companion-way,  and  looked  up  and 
down  the  deck. 

"  Oh,  here  you  are,"  he  said,  as  his  daughter  sprang 
from  her  chair. 

"  Father,"  she  cried,  "  let  me  introduce  to  you  Mr. 
Kenyon,  who  is  the  mining  expert  sent  out  by  our 
syndicate  to  look  at  the  Ottawa  mines." 

"  I  am  pleased  to  meet  you,"  said  the  elder  gentle- 
man. 

The  capitalist  sat  down  beside  the  mining  engineer, 
and  began,  somewhat  to  Kenyon's  embarrassment,  to 
talk  of  the  London  Syndicate. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  FEW  mornings  later  Wentworth  worked  his  wayt 
with  much  balancing  and  grasping  of  stanchions,  along 
the  deck,  for  the  ship  rolled  fearfully,  but  the  person  he 
sought  was  nowhere  visible.  He  thought  he  would  go 
into  the  smoking-room,  but  changed  his  mind  at  the 
door,  and  turned  down  the  companion-way  to  the  main 
saloon.  The  tables  had  been  cleared  of  the  breakfast 
belongings,  but  on  one  of  the  small  tables  a  white  cloth 
had  been  laid,  and  at  this  spot  of  purity  in  the  general 
desert  of  red  plush  sat  Miss  Brewster,  who  was  com- 
placently ordering  what  she  wanted  from  a  steward, 
who  did  not  seem  at  all  pleased  in  serving  one  who  had 
disregarded  the  breakfast-hour,  to  the  disarrangement 
of  all  saloon  rules.  The  chief  steward  stood  by  a  door 
and  looked  disapprovingly  at  the  tardy  guest.  It  was  . 
almost  time  to  lay  the  tables  for  lunch,  and  the  yoting 
woman  was  as  calmly  ordering  her  breakfast  as  if  she  ( 
had  been  the  first  person  at  table. 

She  looked  up  brightly  at  Wentworth,  and  smiled  as  ' 
he  approached  her. 

"  I  suppose,"  she  began,  "  I'm  dreadfully  late,  and  the 
steward  looks  as  if  he  would  like  to  scold  me.  How 
awfully  the  ship  is  rolling !  Is  there  a  storm  ?  " 

"  No.     She  seems  to  be  doing  this  sort  of  thing  for 

40 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  41 

amusement.  Wants  to  make  it  interesting  for  the 
unfortunate  passengers  who  are  not  good  sailors,  I 
suppose.  She's  doing  it,  too.  There's  scarcely  anyone 
on  deck." 

"  Dear  me !  I  thought  we  were  having  a  dreadful 
storm.  Is  it  raining  ?  " 

"  No.  It's  a  beautiful  sunshiny  day  ;  without  much 
wind  either,  in  spite  of  all  this  row." 

"  I  suppose  you  have  had  your  breakfast  long  ago  ?  " 

"  So  long  since  that  I  am  beginning  to  look  forward 
with  pleasant  anticipation  to  lunch." 

"  Oh  dear !  I  had  no  idea  I  was  so  late  as  that. 
Perhaps  you  had  better  scold  me.  Somebody  ought  to 
do  it,  and  the  steward  seems  a  little  afraid." 

"  You  over-estimate  my  courage.  I  am  a  little  afraid, 
too." 

"  Then  you  do  think  I  deserve  it?  " 

"  I  didn't  say  that,  nor  do  I  think  it.  I  confess, 
however,  that  up  to  this  moment  I  felt  just  a  trifle 
lonely." 

"Just  a  trifle!  Well,  that  is  flattery.  How  nicely 
you  English  do  turn  a  compliment !  Just  a  trifle  !  " 

"  I  believe,  as  a  race,  we  do  not  venture  much  into 
compliment-making  at  all.  We  leave  that  for  the  polite 
foreigner.  He  would  say  what  I  tried  to  say  a  great 
deal  better  than  I  did,  of  course,  but  he  would  not 
mean  half  so  much." 

"  Oh,  that's  very  nice,  Mr.  Wentworth.     No  foreigner  : 
could  have  put  it  nearly  so  well.     Now,  what  about 
going  on  deck?  " 

"  Anywhere,  if  you  let  me  accompany  you." 

"  I  shall  be  most  delighted  to  have  you.  I  won't  say 
merely  a  trifle  delighted," 


42  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"Ah  !     Haven't  you  forgiven  that  remark  yet?  '' 

"There's  nothing  to  forgive,  and  it  is  quite  too 
delicious  to  forget.  I  shall  never  forget  it." 

"  I  believe  that  you  are  very  cruel  at  heart,  Miss 
Brewster." 

The  young  woman  gave  him  a  curious  side-look,  but 
did  not  answer.  She  gathered  the  wraps  she  had  taken 
from  her  cabin,  and,  handing  them  to  him  before  he 
had  thought  of  offering  to  take  them,  she  led  the  way 
to  the  deck.  He  found  their  chairs  side  by  side,  and 
admired  the  intelligence  of  the  deck-steward,  who 
seemed  to  understand  which  chairs  to  place  together. 
Miss  Jennie  sank  gracefully  into  her  own,  and  allowed 
him  to  adjust  the  wraps  around  her. 

"  There,"  she  said,  "  that's  very  nicely  done  ;  as  well 
as  the  deck-steward  himself  could  do  it,  and  I  am  sure 
it  is  impossible  to  pay  you  a  more  graceful  compliment 
than  that.  So  few  men  know  how  to  arrange  one 
comfortably  in  a  steamer  chair." 

"  You  speak  as  though  you  had  vast  experience  in 
steamer  life,  and  yet  you  told  me  this  was  your  first 
voyage." 

"  It  is.  But  it  doesn't  take  a  woman  more  than  a 
day  to  see  that  the  average  man  attends  to  such  little 
niceties  very  clumsily.  Now  just  tuck  in  the  corner 
out  of  sight.  There  !  Thank  you,  ever  so  much.  And 

,  would  you  be  kind  enough  to Yes,  that's  better. 

And  this  other  wrap  so.  Oh,  that  is  perfect.  What  a 
patient  man  you  are,  Mr.  Wentworth !  " 

"  Yes,  Miss  Brewster.  You  are  a  foreigner.  I  can 
see  that  now.  Your  professed  compliment  was  hollow. 
You  said  I  did  it  perfectly,  and  then  immediately 
directed  me  how  to  do  it." 


""-  7* 
_     .  bv 


"SO   FEW    MEN    KNOW    HOW   TO   ARRANGE  ONE   COMFORTAIiLY   IN   A.  STEAMER 
CHAIR."—  Page  42- 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  43 

"  Nothing  of  the  kind.  You  did  it  well,  and  I  think 
you  ought  not  to  grudge  me  the  pleasure  of  adding  my 
own  little  improvements." 

"  Oh,  if  you  put  it  in  that  way,  I  will  not.  Now, 
before  I  sit  down,  tell  me  what  book  I  can  get  that  will 
interest  you.  The  library  contains  a  very  good  assort- 
ment." 

"  I  don't  think  I  care  about  reading.  Sit  down  and 
talk.  I  suppose  I  am  too  indolent  to-day.  I  thought, 
when  I  came  on  board,  that  I  would  do  a  lot  of  reading, 
but  I  believe  the  sea-air  makes  one  lazy.  I  must  con- 
fess I  feel  entirely  indifferent  to  mental  improvement." 

"  You  evidently  do  not  think  my  conversation  will  be 
at  all  worth  listening  to." 

"  How  quick  you  are  to  pervert  my  meaning !  Don't 
you  see  that  I  think  your  conversation  better  worth 
listening  to  than  the  most  interesting  or  improving 
book  you  can  choose  from  the  library  ?  Really,  in 
trying  to  avoid  giving  you  cause  for  making  such  a 
remark,  I  have  apparently  stumbled  into  a  worse  error. 
I  was  just  going  to  say  I  would  like  your  conversation 
much  better  than  a  book,  when  I  thought  you  would 
take  that  as  a  reflection  on  your  reading.  If  you  take 
me  up  so  sharply  I  will  sit  here  and  say  nothing.  Now 
then,  talk!" 

"What  shall  I  say?" 

"  Oh,  if  I  told  you  what  to  say  I  should  be  doing  the 
talking.  Tell  me  about  yourself.  What  do  you  do  in 
London?  " 

"  I  work  hard.     I  am  an  accountant." 

"  And  what  is  an  accountant  ?  What  does  he  do  ? 
Keep  accounts  ?  " 

"  Some  of  them  do  ;  I  do  not.     I  see,  rather,  that 


44  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

accounts  which  other  people  keep  have  been  correctly 
kept." 

"  Aren't  they  always  correctly  kept  ?  I  thought  that 
was  what  book-keepers  were  hired  for." 

"  If  books  were  always  correctly  kept  there  would 
be  little  for  us  to  do  ;  but  it  happens,  unfortunately 
for  some,  but  fortunately  for  us,  that  people  occasion- 
ally do  not  keep  their  accounts  accurately." 

"  And  can  you  always  find  that  out  if  you  examine 
the  books  ?  " 

"  Always." 

"  Can't  a  man  make  up  his  accounts  so  that  no  one 
can  tell  there  is  anything  wrong?" 

"  The  belief  that  such  a  thing  can  be  done  has  placed 
many  a  poor  wretch  in  prison.  It  has  been  tried  often 
enough." 

"  I  am  sure  they  can  do  it  in  the  States.  I  have 
read  of  it  being  done  and  continued  for  years.  Men 
have  made  off  with  great  sums  of  money  by  falsifying 
the  books,  and  no  one  found  it  out  until  the  one  who 
did  it  died  or  ran  away." 

"  Nevertheless,  if  an  expert  accountant  had  been 
called  in,  he  would  have  found  out  very  soon  that 
something  was  wrong,  and  just  where  the  wrong  was, 
and  how  much." 

"  I  didn't  think  such  cleverness  possible.  Have  you 
ever  discovered  anything  like  that?" 

"  I  have." 

"  What  is  done  when  such  a  thing  is  discovered  ?  " 

"  That  depends  upon  circumstances.  Usually  a 
policeman  is  called  in." 

"  Why,  it's  like  being  a  detective.  I  wish  you  would 
tell  me  about  some  of  the  cases  you  have  had.  Don't 
make  me  ask  so  many  questions.  Talk." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  45 

"  I  don't  think  my  experiences  would  interest  you  in 
the  least.  There  was  one  case  with  which  I  had 
something  to  do  in  London,  two  years  ago,  that " 

"  Oh,  London.  I  don't  believe  the  book-keepers 
there  are  half  so  sharp  as  ours.  If  you  had  to  deal 
with  American  accountants,  you  would  not  find  out  so 
easily  what  they  had  or  had  not  done." 

"  Well,  Miss  Brewster,  I  may  say  I  have  just  had 
an  experience  of  that  kind  with  some  of  your  very 
sharpest  American  book-keepers.  I  found  that  the 
books  had  been  kept  in  the  most  ingenious  way  with 
the  intent  to  deceive.  The  system  had  been  going  on 
for  years." 

"  How  interesting !  And  did  you  call  in  a  police- 
man? " 

"  No.  This  was  one  of  the  cases  where  a  policeman 
was  not  necessary.  The  books  were  kept  with  the 
object  of  showing  that  the  profits  of  the  m — of  the 
business — had  been  much  greater  than  they  really  were. 
I  may  say  that  one  of  your  American  accountants  had 
already  looked  over  the  books,  and,  whether  through 
ignorance  or  carelessness,  or  from  a  worse  motive,  he 
reported  them  all  right.  They  were  not  all  right, 
and  the  fact  that  they  were  not,  will  mean  the  loss 
of  a  fortune  to  some  people  on  your  side  of  the 
water,  and  the  saving  of  good  money  to  others  on  my 
side." 

"  Then  I  think  your  profession  must  be  a  very  im- 
portant one." 

"  We  think  so,  Miss  Brewster.  I  would  like  to  be 
paid  a  percentage  on  the  money  saved  because  of  my 
report." 

"And  won't  you?" 


46  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Unfortunately,  no." 

"  I  think  that  is  too  bad.  I  suppose  the  discrepancy 
must  have  been  small,  or  the  American  accountant 
would  not  have  overlooked  it  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  say  he  overlooked  it.  Still,  the  size  of 
a  discrepancy  does  not  make  any  difference.  A  small 
error  is  as  easily  found  as  a  large  one.  This  one 
was  large.  I  suppose  there  is  no  harm  in  my  saying 
that  the  books,  taking  them  together,  showed  a 
profit  of  forty  thousand  pounds,  when  they  should 
have  shown  a  loss  of  nearly  half  that  amount.  I  hope 
nobody  overhears  me." 

"  No ;  we  are  quite  alone,  and  you  may  be  sure  I 
will  not  breathe  a  word  of  what  you  have  been  telling 
me." 

"  Don't  breathe  it  to  Kenyon,  at  least.  He  would 
think  me  insane  if  he  knew  what  I  have  said." 

"  Is  Mr.  Kenyon  an  accountant,  too?" 

"  Oh  no.  He  is  a  mineralogist.  He  can  go  into  a 
mine,  and  tell  with  reasonable  certainty  whether  it 
will  pay  the  working  or  not.  Of  course,  as  he  says 
himself,  any  man  can  see  six  feet  into  the  earth  as  well 
as  he  can.  But  it  is  not  every  man  that  can  gauge 
the  value  of  a  working  mine  so  well  as  John  Kenyon." 

"  Then,  while  you  were  delving  among  the  figures, 
your  companion  was  delving  among  the  minerals?  " 

"  Precisely." 

"And  did  he  make  any  such  startling  discovery  as 
you  did  ?  " 

"No;  rather  the  other  way.  He  finds  the  mines 
very  good  properties,  and  he  thinks  that  if  they  were 
managed  intelligently  they  will  be  good  paying  in- 
vestments— that  is,  at  a  proper  price,  you  know — not 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  47 

at  what  the  owners  ask  for  them  at  present.  But  you 
can  have  no  possible  interest  in  these  dry  details." 

"  Indeed,  you  are  mistaken.  I  think  what  you  have 
told  me  intensely  interesting." 

For  once  in  her  life  Miss  Jennie  Brewster  told  the 
exact  truth.  The  unfortunate  man  at  her  side  was 
flattered. 

"  For  what  I  have  told  you,"  he  said,  "  we  were 
offered  twice  what  the  London  people  pay  us  for 
coming  out  here.  In  fact,  even  more  than  that :  we 
were  asked  to  name  our  own  price." 

"  Really  now !  By  the  owners  of  the  property,  I 
suppose,  if  you  wouldn't  tell  on  them  ?  " 

"  No.  By  one  of  your  famous  New  York  newspaper 
men.  He  even  went  so  far  as  to  steal  the  papers  that 
Kenyon  had  in  Ottawa.  He  was  cleverly  caught, 
though,  before  he  could  make  any  use  of  what  he  had 
stolen.  In  fact,  unless  his  people  in  New  York  had 
the  figures  which  were  originally  placed  before  the 
London  Board,  I  doubt  if  my  statistics  would  have 
been  of  much  use  to  him  even  if  he  had  been  allowed 
to  keep  them.  The  full  significance  of  my  report  will 
not  show  until  the  figures  I  have  given  are  compared 
with  those  already  in  the  hands  of  the  London  people, 
which  were  vouched  for  as  correct  by  your  clever 
American  accountant." 

"  You  shouldn't  run  down  an  accountant  just  because 
he  is  American.  Perhaps  there  will  come  a  day, 
Mr.  Wentworth,  when  you  will  admit  that  there  are 
Americans  who  are  more  clever  than  either  that 
accountant  or  that  newspaper  man.  I  don't  think 
your  specimens  are  typical." 

"  I  don't  '  run  down,'  as  you  call  it,  the  men  because 


48  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

they  are  Americans.  I  '  run  down '  the  accountant 
because  he  was  either  ignorant  or  corrupt.  I  '  run 
down '  the  newspaper  man  because  he  was  a  thief." 

Miss  Brewster  was  silent  for  a  few  moments.  She 
was  impressing  on  her  memory  what  he  had  said  to 
her,  and  was  anxious  to  get  away,  so  that  she  could 
write  out  in  her  cabin  exactly  what  had  been  told  her. 
The  sound  of  the  lunch-gong  gave  her  the  excuse 
she  needed,  so,  bidding  her  victim  a  pleasant  and 
friendly  farewell,  she  hurried  from  the  deck  to  her 
state-room. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ONE  morning,  when  Kenyon  went  to  his  state-room 
on  hearing  the  breakfast-gong,  he  found  the  lazy  occu- 
pant of  the  upper  berth  still  in  his  bunk. 

"  Come,  Wentworth,"  he  shouted,  "  this  won't  do, 
you  know.  Get  up  !  get  up !  breakfast,  my  boy ! 
breakfast ! — the  most  important  meal  in  the  day  to  a 
healthy  man." 

Wentworth  yawned  and  stretched  his  arms  over  his 
head. 

"  What's  the  row  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  The  row  is,  it's  time  to  get  up.  The  second  gong 
has  sounded." 

"  Dear  me  !  is  it  so  late  ?  I  didn't  hear  it."  Went- 
worth sat  up  in  his  bunk,  and  looked  ruefully  over  the 
precipice  down  the  chasm  to  the  floor.  "  Have  you 
been  up  long?"  he  asked. 

"  Long?  I  have  been  on  deck  an  hour  and  a  half," 
answered  Kenyon. 

"  Then,  Miss  What's-her-Name  must  have  been  there 
also." 

"  Her  name  is  Miss  Longworth,"  replied  Kenyon, 
without  looking  at  his  comrade." 

"  That's  her  name,  is  it  ?  and  she  was  on  deck  ?  " 

"  She  was." 

49 


50  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  I  thought  so,"  said  Wentworth  ;  "just  look  at  the 
divine  influence  of  woman !  Miss  Longworth  rises 
early,  therefore  John  Kenyon  rises  early.  Miss  Brew- 
ster  rises  late,  therefore  George  Wentworth  is  not  seen 
until  breakfast-time.  If  the  conditions  were  reversed, 
I  suppose  the  getting-up  time  of  the  two  men  would 
be  changed  accordingly." 

"  Not  at  all,  George — not  at  all.  I  would  rise  early 
whether  anybody  else  on  board  did  or  not.  In  fact, 
when  I  got  on  deck  this  morning,  I  expected  to  have 
it  to  myself." 

"  I  take  it,  though,  that  you  were  not  grievously  dis- 
appointed when  you  found  you  hadn't  a  monop- 
oly?" 

"  Well,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  was  not ;  Miss  Longworth 
is  a  charmingly  sensible  girl." 

"  Oh,  they  all  are,"  said  Wentworth  lightly.  "  You 
had  no  sympathy  for  me  the  other  day.  Now  you 
know  how  it  is  yourself,  as  they  say  across  the  water." 

"  I  don't  know  how  it  is  myself.  The  fact  is,  we 
were  talking  business." 

"  Really  ?     Did  you  get  so  far?  " 

"Yes,  we  got  so  far,  if  that  is  any  distance.  I  told 
her  about  the  mica-mine." 

"  Oh,  you  did !  What  did  she  say  ?  Will  she  in- 
vest  ?  " 

"  Well,  when  I  told  her  we  expected  to  form  a 
company  for  fifty  thousand  pounds,  she  said  it  was 
such  a  small  sum,  she  doubted  if  we  could  get  anybody 
interested  in  it  in  London." 

Wentworth,  who  was  now  well  advanced  with  his 
dressing,  gave  a  long  whistle. 

"  Fifty  thousand  pounds  a  small  sum  ?     Why,  John, 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  51 

she  must  be  very  wealthy  !  Probably  more  so  than 
the  American  millionairess." 

"  Well,  George,  you  see,  the  difference  between  the 
two  young  ladies  is  this  :  that  while  American  heiresses 
are  apt  to  boast  of  their  immense  wealth,  English 
women  say  nothing  about  it." 

"  If  you  mean  Miss  Brewster  when  you  speak  in  that 
way,  you  are  entirely  mistaken.  She  has  never  alluded 
to  her  wealth  at  all,  with  the  exception  of  saying  that 
her  father  was  a  millionaire.  So  if  the  young  woman 
you  speak  of  has  been  talking  of  her  wealth  at  all,  she 
has  done  more  than  the  American  girl." 

"  She  said  nothing  to  indicate  she  was  wealthy.  I 
merely  conjectured  it  when  I  discovered  she  looked 
upon  fifty  thousand  pounds  as  a  triviality." 

"  Well,  the  fault  is  easily  remedied.  We  may  raise 
the  price  of  the  mine  to  one  hundred  thousand  pounds 
if  we  can  get  people  to  invest.  Perhaps  the  young 
lady's  father  might  care  to  go  in  for  it  at  that  figure." 

"  Oh,  by  the  way,  Wentworth,"  said  Kenyon,  "  I  for- 
got to  tell  you,  Miss  Longworth's  father  is  one  of 
the  London  Syndicate." 

"  By  Jove  !  are  you  sure  of  that  ?  How  do  you 
know?  You  weren't  talking  of  our  mission  out  there, 
were  you  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not,"  replied  Kenyon,  flushing.  "  You 
don't  think  I  would  speak  of  that  to  a  stranger,  do 
you?  nor  of  anything  concerned  with  our  reports." 

Wentworth  proceeded  with  his  dressing,  a  guilty 
feeling  rising  in  his  heart. 

"  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question  about  that." 

"  About  what  ?  "  said  Wentworth  shortly. 

"About    those   mines.       Miss   Longworth's    father 


52  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

being  a  member  of  the  London  Syndicate,  suppose 
he  asks  what  our  views  in  relation  to  the  matter  are : 
would  we  be  justified  in  telling  him  anything?" 

"  He  won't  ask  me,  as  I  don't  know  him ;  he  may 
ask  you,  and  if  he  does,  then  you  will  have  to  decide 
the  question  for  yourself." 

"  Would  you  say  anything  about  it  if  you  were  in  my 
place  ?  " 

"Oh,  I  don't  know.  If  we  were  certain  it  was  all 
right — if  you  are  sure  he  is  a  member  of  the  syndicate, 
and  he  happens  to  ask  you  about  it,  I  scarcely  see  how 
you  can  avoid  telling  him." 

"  It  would  be  embarrassing;  so  I  hope  he  won't  ask 
me.  We  should  not  speak  of  it  until  we  give  in  our 
reports.  He  knows,  however,  that  you  are  the  ac- 
countant who  has  that  part  of  the  business  in  charge." 

"  Oh,  then  you  have  been  talking  with  him  ?  " 

"Just  a  moment  or  two,  after  his  daughter  intro- 
duced me." 

"  What  did  you  say  his  name  was  ?  " 

"  John  Longworth,  I  believe.  I  am  sure  about  the 
Longworth,  but  not  about  the  John." 

"  Oh,  old  John  Longworth  in  the  City!  Certainly; 
I  know  all  about  him.  I  never  saw  him  before,  but  I 
think  we  are  quite  safe  in  telling  him  anything  he 
wants  to  know,  if  he  asks." 

"  Breakfast,  gentlemen,"  said  the  steward,  putting  his 
head  in  at  the  door. 

After  breakfast  Edith  Longworth  and  her  cousin 
walked  the  deck  together.  Young  Longworth, 
although  in  better  humor  than  he  had  been  the  night 
before,  was  still  rather  short  in  his  replies,  and  irri- 
tating in  his  questions. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  53 

"Aren't  you  tired  of  this  eternal  parade  up  and 
down?  "  he  asked  his  cousin.  "  It  seems  to  me  like  a 
treadmill — as  if  a  person  had  to  work  for  his  board  and 
lodging." 

"  Let  us  sit  down  then,"  she  replied ;  "  although  I 
think  a  walk  before  lunch  or  dinner  increases  the 
attractiveness  of  those  meals  wonderfully." 

"  I  never  feel  the  need  of  working  up  an  appetite," 
he  answered  pettishly. 

"  Well,  as  I  said  before,  let  us  sit  down ; "  and  the 
girl,  having  found  her  chair,  lifted  the  rug  that  lay 
upon  it,  and  took  her  place. 

The  young  man,  after  standing  for  a  moment  look- 
ing at  her  through  his  glistening  monocle,  finally  sat 
down  beswde  her. 

"The  beastly  nuisance  of  living  on  board  ship,"  he 
said,  "  is  that  you  can't  play  billiards." 

"  I  am  sure  you  play  enough  at  cards  to  satisfy  you 
during  the  few  days  we  are  at  sea,"  she  answered. 

"  Oh,  cards!     I  soon  tire  of  them." 

"  You  tire  very  quickly  of  everything." 

"  I  certainly  get  tired  of  lounging  about  the  deck, 
either  walking  or  sitting." 

"  Then,  pray  don't  let  me  keep  you." 

"You  want  me  to  go  so  you  may  walk  with  your 
newly-found  friend,  that  miner  fellow?" 

"That  miner  fellow  is  talking  with  my  father  just 
now.  Still,  if  you  would  like  to  know,  I  have  no  hesi- 
tation in  telling  you  I  would  much  prefer  his  company 
to  yours  if  you  continue  in  your  present  mood." 

"Yes,  or  in  any  mood." 

"  I  did  not  say  that ;  but  if  it  will  comfort  you  to 
have  me  say  it,  I  shall  be  glad  to  oblige  you." 


54  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Perhaps,  then,  I  should  go  and  talk  with  your  father, 
and  let  the  miner  fellow  come  here  and  talk  with 
you." 

"  Please  do  not  call  him  the  miner  fellow.  His 
name  is  Mr.  Kenyon.  It  is  not  difficult  to  remem- 
ber." 

"  I  know  his  name  well  enough.  Shall  I  send  him 
to  you  ?  " 

"  No.  I  want  to  talk  with  you  in  spite  of  your  dis- 
agreeableness.  And  what  is  more,  I  want  to  talk  with 
you  about  Mr.  Kenyon.  So  I  wish  you  to  assume 
your  very  best  behavior.  It  may  be  for  your  benefit." 

The  young  man  indulged  in  a  sarcastic  laugh. 

"  Oh,  if  you  are  going  to  do  that,  I  have  nothing 
more  to  say,"  remarked  Edith  quietly,  rising  from  her 
chair. 

"  I  meant  no  harm.  Sit  down  and  go  on  with  your 
talk." 

"  Listen,  then.  Mr.  Kenyon  has  the  option  of  a 
mine  in  Canada,  which  he  believes  to  be  a  good  prop- 
erty. He  intends  to  form  a  company  when  he  reaches 
London.  Now,  why  shouldn't  you  make  friends  with 
him,  and,  if  you  found  the  property  is  as  good  as  he 
thinks  it  is,  help  him  to  form  the  company,  and  so 
make  some  money  for  both  of  you  ?  " 

"You  are  saying  one  word  for  me  and  two  for 
Kenyon." 

"  No,  it  would  be  as  much  for  your  benefit  as  for  his, 
so  it  is  a  word  for  each  of  you." 

"You  are  very  much  interested  in  him." 

"  My  dear  cousin,  I  am  very  much  interested  in  the 
mine,  and  I  am  very  much  interested  in  you.  Mr. 
Kenyon  can  speak  of  nothing  but  the  mine,  and  I  am 
sure  my  father  would  be  pleased  to  see  you  take  an 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  55 

interest  in  something  of  the  sort.  I  mean,  you  know, 
that  if  you  would  do  something  of  your  own  accord — 
something  that  was  not  suggested  to  you  by  him — he 
would  like  it." 

"  Well,  it  is  suggested  to  me  by  you,  and  that's 
almost  the  same  thing." 

"  No,  it  is  not  the  same  thing  at  all.  Father  would 
indeed  be  glad  if  he  saw  you  take  up  anything  on  your 
own  account  and  make  a  success  of  it.  Why  not 
spend  some  of  your  time  talking  with  Mr.  Kenyon, 
discussing  arrangements,  so  that  when  you  return  to 
London  you  might  be  prepared  to  put  the  mine  on 
the  market  and  bring  out  the  company  ?  " 

"  If  I  thought  you  were  talking  to  me  for  my  own 
sake,  I  would  do  what  you  suggest ;  but  I  believe  you 
are  speaking  only  because  you  are  interested  in 
Kenyon." 

"  Nonsense!  How  can  you  be  so  absurd?  I  have 
known  Mr.  Kenyon  but  for  a  few  hours — a  day  or  two 
at  most." 

The  young  man  pulled  his  moustache  for  a  moment, 
adjusted  his  eyeglass,  and  then  said  : 

"  Very  good.  I  will  speak  to  Kenyon  on  the  subject 
if  you  wish  it,  but  I  don't  say  that  I  can  help  him." 

"  I  don't  ask  you  to  help  him.  I  ask  you  to  help 
yourself.  Here  is  Mr.  Kenyon.  Let  me  introduce 
you,  and  then  you  can  talk  over  the  project  at  your 
leisure." 

"  I  don't  suppose  an  introduction  is  necessary," 
growled  the  young  man  ;  but  as  Kenyon  approached 
them,  Edith  Longworth  said  : 

"  We  are  a  board  of  directors,  Mr.  Kenyon,  on  the 
great  mica-mine.  Will  you  join  the  Board  now,  or 
after  allotment  ?  "  Then,  before  he  could  reply,  she 


56  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

said :  "  Mr.  Kenyon,  this  is  my  cousin,  Mr.  William 
Longworth." 

Longworth,  without  rising  from  his  chair,  shook 
hands  in  rather  a  surly  fashion. 

"  I  am  going  to  speak  to  my  father,"  said  the  girl, 
"  and  will  leave  you  to  talk  over  the  mica-mine." 

When  she  had  gone,  young  Longworth  asked 
Kenyon : 

"  Where  is  the  mine  my  cousin  speaks  of?  " 

"  It  is  near  the  Ottawa  River,  in  Canada,"  was  the 
answer. 

"  And  what  do  you  expect  to  sell  it  for?" 

"  Fifty  thousand  pounds." 

"  Fifty  thousand  pounds  !  That  will  leave  nothing 
to  divide  up  among —  By  the  way,  how  many  is 
there  in  this  thing — yourself  alone?  " 

"  No ;  my  friend  Wentworth  shares  with  me." 

"  Share  and  share  alike  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"Of  course,  you  think  this  mine  is  worth  the  money 
you  ask  for  it — there  is  no  swindle  about  it,  is  there  ?  " 

Kenyon  drew  himself  up  sharply  as  this  remark  was 
made.  Then  he  answered  coldly  : 

"  If  there  was  any  swindle  about  it,  I  should  have 
nothing  to  do  with  it." 

"  Well,  you  see,  I  didn't  know  ;  mining  swindles  are 
not  such  rarities  as  you  may  imagine.  If  the  mine  is 
so  valuable,  why  are  the  proprietors  anxious  to 
sell  ?  " 

"  The  owners  are  in  Austria,  and  the  mine  in  Canada, 
and  so  it  is  rather  at  arm's  length,  as  it  were.  They 
are  mining  for  mica,  but  the  mine  is  more  valuable  in 
other  respects  than  it  is  as  a  mica  property.  They 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  57 

have  placed  a  figure  on  the  mine  which  is  more  than  it 
has  cost  them  so  far." 

"  You  know  its  value  in  those  other  respects  ?  " 
"  I  do." 

"  Does  anyone  know  this  except  yourself  ?  " 
"  I  think  not — no  one  but  my  friend  Wentworth." 
"  How  did  you  come  to  learn  its  value  ?  " 
"  By   visiting   the    mine.     Wentworth   and    I  went 
together  to  see  it." 

"  Oh,  is  Wentworth  also  a  mining  expert  ?  " 
"  No  ;  he  is  an  accountant  in  London." 
"  Both  of  you  were  sent  out  by  the  London  Syndi- 
cate, I  understand,  to  look  after  their  mines,  or  the 
mines  they  thought  of  purchasing,  were  you  not  ?  " 
"  We  were." 

"  And  you  spent  your  time  in  looking  up  other  prop- 
erties for  yourselves,  did  you  ?  " 
Kenyon  reddened  at  this  question. 
"  My  dear  sir,"  he  said,  "  if  you  are  going  to  talk  in 
this  strain,  you  will  have  to  excuse  me.  We  were  sent 
by  the  London  Syndicate  to  do  a  certain  thing.  We 
did  it,  and  did  it  thoroughly.  After  it  was  done  the 
time  was  our  own,  as  much  as  it  is  at  the  present  mo- 
ment. We  were  not  hired  by  the  day,  but  took  a  stated 
sum  for  doing  a  certain  piece  of  work.  I  may  go 
further  and  say  that  the  time  was  our  own  at  any  period 
of  our  visit,  so  long  as  we  fulfilled  what  the  London 
Syndicate  required  of  us." 

"  Oh,  I  meant  no  offence,"  said  Longworth.  "  You 
merely  seemed  to  be  posing  as  a  sort  of  goody-goody 
young  man  when  I  spoke  of  mining  swindles,  so  I  only 
wished  to  startle  you.  How  much  have  you  to  pay  for 
the  mine— that  is,  the  mica-mine  ?  " 


58  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

Kenyon  hesitated  for  a  moment. 

"  I  do  not  feel  at  liberty  to  mention  the  sum  until  I 
have  consulted  with  my  friend  Wentworth." 

"  Well,  you  see,  if  I  am  to  help  you  in  this  matter,  I 
shall  need  to  know  every  particular." 

"  Certainly.  I  shall  have  to  consult  Wentworth  as 
to  whether  we  require  any  help  or  not." 

"  Oh,  you  will  speedily  find  that  you  require  all  the 
help  you  can  get  in  London.  You  will  probably  learn 
that  a  hundred  such  mines  are  for  sale  now,  and  the 
chances  are  you  will  find  that  this  very  mica-mine  has 
been  offered.  What  do  you  believe  the  mine  is  really 
worth  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  is  worth  anywhere  from  one  hundred 
thousand  pounds  to  two  hundred  thousand  pounds, 
perhaps  more." 

"  Is  it  actually  worth  one  hundred  thousand 
pounds?  " 

"  According  to  my  estimate,  it  is." 

"  Is  it  worth  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
pounds?  " 

"  It  is." 

"  Is  it  worth  two  hundred  thousand  pounds  ?  " 

"  I  think  so." 

"  What  percentage  would  it  pay  on  two  hundred 
thousand  pounds?" 

"  It  might  pay  ten  per  cent.,  perhaps  more." 

"  Why,  in  the  name  of  all  that  is  wonderful,  don't 
you  put  the  price  at  two  hundred  thousand  pounds  ? 
If  it  will  pay  ten  per  cent,  and  more  on  that  amount 
of  money,  then  that  sum  is  what  you  ought  to  sell  it 
for.  Now  we  will  investigate  this  matter,  if  you  like, 
and  if  you  wish  to  take  me  in  with  you,  and  put  the 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  59 

price  up  to  two  hundred  thousand  pounds,  I  will  see 
what  can  be  done  about  it  when  we  get  to  London. 
Of  course,  it  will  mean  somebody  going  out  to  Canada 
again  to  report  on  the  mine.  Your  report  would 
naturally  not  be  taken  in  such  a  case  ;  you  are  too 
vitally  interested." 

"  Of  course,"  replied  Kenyon,  "I  shouldn't  expect 
my  report  to  have  any  weight." 

"Well,  somebody  would  have  to  be  sent  out  to 
report  on  the  mine.  Are  you  certain  that  it  will  stand 
thorough  investigation?" 

"  I  am  convinced  of  it." 

"  Would  you  be  willing  to  make  this  proposition  to 
the  investors,  that,  if  the  expert  did  not  support  your 
statement,  you  would  pay  his  expenses  out  there  and 
back  ?  " 

"  I  would  be  willing  to  do  that,"  said  Kenyon,  "  if  I 
had  the  money  ;  but  I  haven't  the  money." 

"Then,  how  do  you  expect  to  float  the  mine  on  the 
London  market?  It  cannot  be  done  without  money." 

"  I  thought  I  might  be  able  to  interest  some 
capitalist." 

"  I  am  much  afraid,  Mr.  Kenyon,  that  you  have 
vague  ideas  of  how  companies  are  formed.  Perhaps 
your  friend  Wentworth,  being  an  accountant,  may 
know  more  about  it." 

"  Yes,  I  confess  I  am  relying  mainly  on  his  assist- 
ance." 

"  Well,  will  you  agree  to  put  the  price  of  the  mine 
at  two  hundred  thousand  pounds,  and  share  what  we 
make  equally  between  the  three  of  us." 

"  It  is  a  large  price." 

"  It  is  not  a  large  price  if  the  mine  will   pay  good 


60  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

dividends  upon  it ;  if  it  will  pay  eight  per  cent,  on 
that  amount,  it  is  the  real  price  of  the  mine,  while  you 
say  that  you  are  certain  it  will  pay  ten  per  cent." 

"  I  say  I  think  it  will  pay  that  percentage.  One 
never  can  speak  with  entire  certainty  where  a  mine  is 
concerned." 

"  Are  you  willing  to  put  the  price  of  the  mine  at  that 
figure?  Otherwise,  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  it." 

"  As  I  said,  I  shall  have  to  consult  my  friend  about 
it,  but  that  can  be  done  in  a  very  short  time,  and  I 
will  answer  you  in  the  afternoon." 

"  Good  ;  there  is  no  particular  hurry.  Have  a  talk 
over  it  with  him,  and  while  I  do  not  promise  anything, 
I  think  the  scheme  looks  feasible,  if  the  property  is 
right.  Remember,  I  know  nothing  at  all  about  that, 
but  if  you  agree  to  take  me  in,  I  shall  have  to  know 
full  particulars  of  what  you  are  going  to  pay  for  the 
property,  and  what  its  peculiar  value  is." 

"  Certainly.  If  we  agree  to  take  a  partner,  we  will 
give  that  partner  our  full  confidence." 

"  Well,  there  is  nothing  more  to  say  until  you  have 
had  a  consultation  with  your  friend.  Good-morning, 
Mr.  Kenyon  ; "  and  with  that  Longworth  arose  and 
lounged  off  to  the  smoking-room. 

Kenyon  waited  where  he  was  for  some  time,  hoping 
Wentworth  would  come  along,  but  the  young  man 
did  not  appear.  At  last  he  went  in  search  of  him. 
He  passed  along  the  deck,  but  found  no  trace  of  his 
friend  and  looked  for  a  moment  into  the  smoking-room, 
but  Wentworth  was  not  there.  He  went  downstairs 
to  the  saloon,  but  his  search  below  was  equally  fruit- 
less. Coming  up  on  deck  again,  he  saw  Miss  Brewster 
sitting  alone  reading  a  paper-covered  novel. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  61 

"  Have  you  seen  my  friend  Wentworth  ?  "  he  asked. 

She  laid  the  book  open-faced  upon  her  lap,  and 
looked  quickly  up  at  Kenyon  before  answering. 

"  I  saw  him  not  so  very  long  ago,  but  I  don't  know 
where  he  is  now.  Perhaps  you  will  find  him  in  his 
state-room ;  in  fact,  I  think  it  more  than  likely  that 
he  is  there." 

With  that,  Miss  Brewster  resumed  her  book. 

Kenyon  descended  to  the  state-room,  opened  the 
door  and  saw  his  comrade  sitting  upon  the  plush-covered 
sofa,  with  his  head  in  his  hands.  At  the  opening  of 
the  door,  Wentworth  started  and  looked  for  a  moment 
at  his  friend,  apparently  not  seeing  him.  His  face 
was  so  gray  and  ghastly  that  Kenyon  leaned  against 
the  door  for  support  as  he  saw  it. 

"My  God,  George!"  he  cried,  "  what  is  the  matter 
with  you  ?  What  has  happened?  Tell  me  !  " 

Wentworth  gazed  in  front  of  him  with  glassy  eyes 
for  a  moment,  but  did  not  answer.  Then  his  head 
dropped  again  in  his  hands,  and  he  groaned  aloud. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THERE  was  one  man  on  board  the  Caloric  to  whom 
Wentworth  had  taken  an  extreme  dislike.  His  name 
was  Fleming,  and  he  claimed  to  be  a  New  York  poli- 
tician. As  none  of  his  friends  or  enemies  asserted 
anything  worse  about  him,  it  may  be  assumed  that 
Fleming  had  designated  his  occupation  correctly.  If 
Wentworth  were  asked  what  he  most  disliked  about 
the  man,  he  would  probably  have  said  his  offensive 
familiarity.  Fleming  seemed  to  think  himself  a  genial 
good  fellow,  and  he  was  immensely  popular  with  a 
certain  class  in  the  smoking-room.  He  was  lavishly 
free  with  his  invitations  to  drink,  and  always  had  a 
case  of  good  cigars  in  his  pocket,  which  he  bestowed 
with  great  liberality.  He  had  the  habit  of  slapping  a 
man  boisterously  on  the  back,  and  saying,  "  Well,  old 
fellow,  how  are  you?  How's  things?"  He  usually 
confided  to  his  listeners  that  he  was  a  self-made  man  : 
had  landed  at  New  York  without  a  cent  in  his  pocket, 
and  look  at  him  now  ! 

Wentworth  was  icy  towards  this  man  ;  but  frigidity 
had  no  effect  whatever  on  the  exuberant  spirits  of  the 
New  York  politician. 

"  Well,  old  man  !  "  cried  Fleming  to  Wentworth,  as 
he  came  up  to  the  latter  and  linked  arms  affectionately. 
"  What  lovely  weather  we  are  having  for  winter  time !  " 
62 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  63 

"  It  is  good,"  said  Wentworth. 

"  Good  ?  It's  glorious  !  Who  would  have  thought, 
when  leaving  New  York  in  a  snowstorm  as  we  did, 
that  we  would  run  right  into  the  heart  of  spring?  I 
hope  you  are  enjoying  your  voyage?  " 

"  I  am." 

"  You  ought  to.  By  the  way,  why  are  you  so  awful 
stand-offish  ?  Is  it  natural,  or  merely  put  on  '  for 
this  occasion  only  '  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know  what  you  mean  by  *  stand-offish.'  ' 

"  You  know  very  well  what  I  mean.  Why  do  you 
pretend  to  be  so  stiff  and  formal  with  a  fellow? " 

"  I  am  never  stiff  and  formal  with  any  one  unless  I  do 
not  desire  his  acquaintance." 

Fleming  laughed  loudly. 

"  I  suppose  that's  a  personal  hint.  Well,  it  seems 
to  me,  if  this  exclusiveness  is  genuine,  that  you  would 
be  more  afraid  of  newspaper  notoriety  than  of  anything 
else." 

"  Why  do  you  say  that  ?  " 

"  Because  I  can't,  for  the  life  of  me,  see  why  you 
spend  so  much  time  with  Dolly  Dimple.  I  am  sure  I 
don't  know  why  she  is  here ;  but  I  do  know  this :  that 
you  will  be  served  up  to  the  extent  of  two  or  three 
columns  in  the  Sunday  Argus  as  sure  as  you  live." 

"  I  don't  understand  you." 

"  You  don't  ?  Why,  it's  plain  enough.  You  spend 
all  your  time  with  her." 

"I  do  not  even  know  of  whom  you  are  speaking." 

"  Oh,  come  now,  that's  too  rich.  Is  it  possible  you 
don't  know  that  Miss  Jennie  Brewster  is  the  one  who 
writes  those  Sunday  articles  over  the  signature  of 
'Dolly  Dimple'?" 


64  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

A  strange  fear  fell  upon  Wentworth  as  his  com- 
panion mentioned  the  Argus.  He  remembered  it  as 
J.  K.  Rivers'  paper;  but  when  Fleming  said  Miss 
Brewster  was  a  correspondent  of  the  Argus,  he  was 
aghast. 

"  I — I — I  don't  think  I  quite  catch  your  meaning," 
he  stammered. 

"  Well,  my  meaning's  easy  enough  to  see.  Hasn't 
she  ever  told  you  ?  Then  it  shows  she  wants  to  do 
you  up  on  toast.  You're  not  an  English  politician,  are 
you?  You  haven't  any  political  secrets  that  Dolly 
wants  to  get  at,  have  you  ?  Why,  she  is  the  greatest 
girl  there  is  in  the  whole  United  States  for  finding  out 
just  what  a  man  doesn't  want  to  have  known.  You 
know  the  Secretary  of  State  " — and  here  Fleming 
went  on  to  relate  a  wonderfully  brilliant  feat  of 
Dolly's ;  but  the  person  to  whom  he  was  talking  had 
neither  eyes  nor  ears.  He  heard  nothing  and  he  saw 
nothing. 

"Dear  me!  "  said  Fleming,  drawing  himself  up  and 
slapping  the  other  on  the  back,  "  you  look  perfectly 
dumbfounded.  I  suppose  I  oughtn't  to  have  given 
Dolly  away  like  this ;  but  she  has  pretended  all  along 
that  she  didn't  know  me,  and  so  I've  got  even  with  her. 
You  take  my  advice,  and  anything  you  don't  want  to 
see  in  print,  don't  tell  Miss  Brewster,  that's  all.  Have 
a  cigar  ?  " 

"  No,  thank  you,"  replied  the  other  mechanically. 

"  Better  come  in  and  have  a  drink." 

"  No,  thank  you." 

"  Well,  so  long.     I'll  see  you  later." 

"  It  can't  be  true — it  can't  be  true,"  Wentworth 
repeated  to  himself  in  deep  consternation,  but  still 


"  WHY,    MR.    \VEXT\VORTH,    WHAT    IS   TIIK    MATTER  ?  ''—Page  6j. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  65 

an  inward  misgiving  warned  him  that,  after  all,  it 
might  be  true.  With  his  hands  clasped  behind  him 
he  walked  up  and  down,  trying  to  collect  himself — try. 
ing  to  remember  what  he  had  told  and  what  he  had 
not.  As  he  walked  along,  heeding  nobody,  a  sweet 
voice  from  one  of  the  chairs  thrilled  him,  and  he 
paused. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Wentworth,  what  is  the  matter  with  you 
this  morning?  You  look  as  if  you  had  seen  a 
ghost." 

Wentworth  glanced  at  the  young  woman  seated  in 
the  chair,  who  was  gazing  up  brightly  at  him. 

"  Well,"  he  said  at  last,  "  I  am  not  sure  but  I  have 
seen  a  ghost.  May  I  sit  down  beside  you  ?" 

"  May  you  ?  Why,  of  course  you  may.  I  shall  be 
delighted  to  have  you.  Is  there  anything  wrong?  " 

"  I  don't  know.     Yes,  I  think  there  is." 

"  Well,  tell  it  to  me ;  perhaps  I  can  help  you.  A 
woman's  wit,  you  know.  What  is  the  trouble  ?  " 

"  May  I  ask  you  a  few  questions,  Miss  Brewster?  " 

"  Certainly.  A  thousand  of  them  if  you  like,  and  I 
will  answer  them  all  if  I  can." 

"Thank  you.  Will  you  tell  me,  Miss  Brewster,  if 
you  are  connected  with  any  newspaper  ?  " 

Miss  Brewster  laughed  her  merry,  silvery  little 
laugh. 

"  Who  told  you  ?  Ah  !  I  see  how  it  is.  It  was  that 
creature  Fleming.  I'll  get  even  with  him  for  this  some 
day.  I  know  what  office  he  is  after,  and  the  next  time 
he  wants  a  good  notice  from  the  Argus\iQ\\  get  it ;  see 
if  he  don't.  I  know  some  things  about  him  that  he 
would  just  as  soon  not  see  in  print.  Why,  what  a  fool 
the  man  is !  I  suppose  he  told  you  out  of  revenge 


66  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

because  I  wouldn't  speak  to  him  the  other  evening. 
Never  mind  ;  I  can  afford  to  wait." 

"Then — then,  Miss  Brewster,  it  is  true?" 

"  Certainly  it  is  true  ;  is  there  anything  wrong  about 
it?  I  hope  you  don't  think  it  is  disreputable  to  belong 
to  a  good  newspaper?" 

"  To  a  good  newspaper,  no ;  to  a  bad  newspaper, 
yes." 

"Oh,  I  don't  think  the  Argus  is  a  bad  newspaper. 
It  pays  me  well." 

"Then  it  is  to  the  Argus  that  you  belong?" 

"Certainly." 

"  May  I  ask,  Miss  Brewster,  if  there  is  anything  I 
have  spoken  about  to  you  that  you  intend  to  use  in 
your  paper?  " 

Again  Miss  Brewster  laughed. 

"  I  will  be  perfectly  frank  with  you.  I  never  tell  a  lie 
— it  doesn't  pay.  Yes.  The  reason  I  am  here  is 
because  you  are  here.  I  am  here  to  find  out  what  your 
report  on  those  mines  will  be,  also  what  the  report  of 
your  friend  will  be.  I  have  found  out." 

"  And  do  you  intend  to  use  the  information  you  have 
thus  obtained — if  I  may  say  it — under  false  pretences  ?  " 

"  My  dear  sir,  you  are  forgetting  yourself.  You 
must  remember  that  you  are  talking  to  a  lady." 

"A  lady  !  "  cried  Wentworth  in  his  anguish. 

"  Yes,  sir,  a  lady  ;  and  you  must  be  careful  how  you 
talk  to  this  lady.  There  was  no  false  pretence  about  it, 
if  you  remember.  What  you  told  me  was  in  conversa- 
tion ;  I  didn't  ask  you  for  it.  I  didn't  even  make  the 
first  advances  towards  your  acquaintance." 

"But  you  must  admit,  Miss  Brewster,  that  it  is  very 
unfair  to  get  a  man  to  engage  in  what  he  thinks  is  a 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  67 

private  conversation,  and  then  to  publish  what  he  has 
said." 

"  My  dear  sir,  if  that  were  the  case,  how  would  we 
get  anything  for  publication  that  people  didn't  want  to 
be  known  ?  Why,  I  remember  once,  when  the  Secretary 
of  State " 

"Yes,"  interrupted  Wentwt>rth  wearily;  "Fleming 
told  me  that  story." 

"  Oh,  did  he  ?  Well,  I'm  sure  I'm  much  obliged  to 
him.  Then  I  need  not  repeat  it." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  intend  to  send  to 
the  Argus  for  publication  what  I  have  told  you  in 
confidence? " 

"  Certainly.  As  I  said  before,  that  is  what  I  am 
here  for.  Besides,  there  was  no  '  in  confidence ' 
about  it." 

"And  yet  you  pretend  to  be  a  truthful,  honest, 
honorable  woman  ?" 

"  I  don't  pretend  it ;  I  am." 

"  How  much  truth,  then,  is  there  in  your  story  that 
you  are  a  millionaire's  daughter  about  to  visit  your 
father  in  Paris,  and  accompany  him  from  there  to  the 
Riviera?" 

Miss  Brewster  laughed  brightly. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  call  fibs,  which  a  person  has  to  tell  in 
the  way  of  business,  untruths." 

"  Then  probably  you  do  not  think  your  estimable 
colleague,  Mr.  J.  K.  Rivers,  behaved  dishonorably  in 
Ottawa?" 

"  Well,  hardly.  I  think  Rivers  was  not  justified  in 
what  he  did  because  he  was  unsuccessful,  that  is  all. 
I'll  bet  a  dollar  if  I  had  got  hold  of  those  papers  they 
would  have  gone  through  to  New  York ;  but,  then. 


68  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

J.  K.  Rivers  is  only  a  stupid  man,  and  most  men  are 
stupid  " — with  a  sly  glance  at  Wentworth. 

"  I  am  willing  to  admit  that,  Miss  Brewster,  if  you 
mean  me.  There  never  was  a  more  stupid  man  than  I 
have  been." 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Wentworth,  it  will  do  you  ever  so  much 
good  if  you  come  to  a  realization  of  that  fact.  The 
truth  is,  you  take  yourself  much  too  seriously.  Now,  it 
won't  hurt  you  a  bit  to  have  what  I  am  going  to  send 
published  in  the  Argus,  and  it  will  help  me  a  great 
deal.  Just  you  wait  here  for  a  few  moments." 

With  that  she  flung  her  book  upon  his  lap,  sprang 
up,  and  vanished  down  the  companion-way.  In  a  very 
short  time  she  reappeared  with  some  sheets  of  paper  in 
her  hand. 

"  Now  you  see  how  fair  and  honest  I  am  going 
to  be.  I  am  going  to  read  you  what  I  have  written. 
If  there  is  anything  in  it  that  is  not  true,  I  will  very 
gladly  cut  it  out  ;  and  if  there  is  anything  more  to 
be  added,  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  add  it.  Isn't  that 
fair?" 

Wentworth  was  so  confounded  with  the  woman's 
impudence  that  he  could  make  no  reply. 

She  began  to  read :  "  '  By  an  unexampled  stroke  of 
enterprise  the  New  York  Argus  \s  enabled  this  morning 
to  lay  before  its  readers  a  full  and  exclusive  account 
of  the  report  made  by  the  two  English  specialists,  Mr. 
George  Wentworth  and  Mr.  John  Kenyon,  who  were 
sent  over  by  the  London  Syndicate  to  examine  into 
the  accounts,  and  inquire  into  the  true  value  of  the 
mines  of  the  Ottawa  River.'  " 

She  looked  up  from  the  paper,  and  said,  with  an  air 
of  friendly  confidence: 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  69 

"  I  shouldn't  send  that  if  I  thought  the  people  at  the 
New  York  end  would  know  enough  to  write  it  them- 
selves; but  as  the  paper  is  edited  by  dull  men,  and 
not  by  a  sharp  woman,  I  have  to  make  them  pay 
twenty-five  cents  a  word  for  puffing  their  own  enter- 
prise. Well,  to  go  on  :  '  When  it  is  remembered  that 
the  action  of  the  London  Syndicate  will  depend  en- 
tirely on  the  report  of  these  two  gentlemen — 

"I  wouldn't  put  it  that  way,"  interrupted  Went- 
worth  in  his  despair.  "  I  would  use  the  word  '  largely  ' 
for  '  entirely.' " 

"Oh,  tkankyou"  said  Miss  Brewster cordially.  She 
placed  the  manuscript  on  her  knee,  and,  with  her 
pencil,  marked  out  the  word  "  entirely,"  substituting 
"  largely."  The  reading  went  on  :  "  '  When  it  is  re- 
membered that  the  action  of  the  London  Syndicate 
will  depend  largely  on  the  report  of  these  two  gentle- 
men, the  enterprise  of  the  Argus  in  getting  this  ex- 
clusive information,  which  will  be  immediately  cabled, 
to  London,  may  be  imagined.'  That  is  the  preliminary, 
you  see;  and,  as  I  said,  it  wouldn't  be  necessary  to 
cable  it  if  women  were  at  the  head  of  affairs  over  there, 
which  they  are  not.  '  Mr.  John  Kenyon,  the  mining 
expert,  has  visited  all  the  mineral  ranges  along  the 
Ottawa  River,  and  his  report  is  that  the  mines  are 
very  much  what  is  claimed  for  them ;  but  he  thinks 
they  are  not  worked  properly,  although,  with  judicious 
management  and  more  careful  mining,  the  properties 
can  be  made  to  pay  good  dividends.  Mr.  George 
Wentworth,  who  is  one  of  the  leading  accountants  of 
London ' " 

"  I  wouldn't  say  that,  either,"  groaned  George. 
"Just  strike  out  the  words  'one  of  the  leading  ac- 
countants of  London.'  " 


76  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"Yes?"  said  Miss  Brewster ;  "and  what  shall  I  put 
in  the  place  of  them  ?  " 

"  Put  in  place  of  them  '  the  stupidest  ass  in  Lon- 
don!'" 

Miss  Brewster  laughed  at  that. 

"  No  ;  I  shall  put  in  what  I  first  wrote  :  '  Mr.  George 
Wentworth,  one  of  the  leading  accountants  of  London, 
has  gone  through  the  books  of  the  different  mines.  He 
has  made  some  startling  discoveries.  The  accounts 
have  been  kept  in  such  a  way  as  to  completely  delude 
investors,  and  this  fact  will  have  a  powerful  effect  on 
the  minds  of  the  London  Syndicate.  The  books  of 
the  different  mines  show  a  profit  of  about  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  whereas  the  actual  facts  of  the  case 
are  that  there  has  been  an  annual  loss  of  something 
like  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 

"  What's  that  ?  what's  that  ? "  cried  Wentworth 
sharply. 

"  Dollars,  you  know.  You  said  twenty  thousand 
pounds.  We  put  it  in  dollars,  don't  you  see  ?  " 

"  Oh,"  said  Wentworth,  relapsing  again. 

"'One  hundred  thousand  dollars' — where  was  I? 
Oh  yes.  '  It  is  claimed  that  an  American  expert  went 
over  these  books  before  Mr.  Wentworth,  and  that  he 
asserted  they  were  all  right.  An  explanation  from  this 
gentleman  will  now  be  in  order.' ' 

"  There!  "  cried  the  young  lady,  "  that  is  the  sub- 
stance of  the  thing.  Of  course,  I  may  amplify  a  little 
more  before  we  get  to  Queenstown,  so  as  to  make 
them  pay  more  money.  People  don't  value  a  thing 
that  doesn't  cost  them  dearly.  How  do  you  like  it? 
Is  it  correct  ?  " 

"  Perfectly  correct,"  answered  the  miserable  young 
man. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  71 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  you  like  it.  I  do  love  to  have 
things  right." 

"  I  didn't  say  I  liked  it." 

"  No,  of  course,  you  couldn't  be  expected  to  say 
that ;  but  I  am  glad  you  think  it  is  accurate.  I  will 
add  a  note  to  the  effect  that  you  think  it  is  a  good 
rdsumt  of  your  report." 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  don't  drag  me  into  the  matter !  " 
cried  Wentworth. 

"  Well,  I  won't,  if  you  don't  want  me  to." 

There  was  silence  for  a  few  moments,  during  which 
the  young  woman  seemed  to  be  adding  commas  and 
full-stops  to  the  MS.  on  her  knee.  Wentworth  cleared 
his  throat  two  or  three  times,  but  his  lips  were  so  dry 
that  he  could  hardly  speak.  At  last  he  said : 

"  Miss  Brewster,  how  can  I  induce  you  not  to  send 
that  from  Queenstown  to  your  paper." 

The  young  woman  looked  up  at  him  with  a  pleasant 
bright  smile. 

"  Induce  me  ?  Why,  you  couldn't  do  it — it  couldn't 
be  done.  This  will  be  one  of  the  greatest  triumphs  I 
have  ever  achieved.  Think  of  Rivers  failing  in  it,  and 
me  accomplishing  it !  " 

"Yes;  I  have  thought  of  that,"  replied  the  young 
man  despondently.  "  Now,  perhaps  you  don't  know 
that  the  full  report  was  mailed  from  Ottawa  to  our 
house  in  London,  and  the  moment  we  get  to  Queens- 
town  I  will  telegraph  my  partners  to  put  the  report  in 
the  hands  of  the  directors?  " 

"  Oh,  I  know  all  about  that,"  replied  Miss  Brewster  ; 
"  Rivers  told  me.  He  read  the  letter  that  was  enclosed 
with  the  documents  he  took  from  your  friend.  Now, 
have  you  made  any  calculations  about  this  voyage  ?  " 


72  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"Calculations?  I  don't  know  what  you  mean." 
"Well,  I  mean  just  this:  We  shall  probably  reach 
Queenstown  on  Saturday  afternoon.  This  report, 
making  allowance  for  the  difference  in  the  time,  will 
appear  in  the  Argus  on  Sunday  morning.  Your  tele- 
gram will  reach  your  house  or  your  firm  on  Saturday 
night,  when  nothing  can  be  done  with  it.  Sunday 
nothing  can  be  done.  Monday  morning,  before  your 
report  will  reach  the  directors,  the  substance  of  what 
has  appeared  in  the  Argus  will  be  in  the  financial 
papers,  cabled  over  to  London  on  Sunday  night.  The 
first  thing  your  directors  will  see  of  it  will  be  in  the 
London  financial  papers  on  Monday  morning.  That's 
what  I  mean,  Mr.  Wentworth,  by  calculating  the 
voyage." 

Wentworth  said  no  more.  He  staggered  to  his  feet 
and  made  his  way  as  best  he  could  to  the  state-roorn, 
groping  like  a  blind  man.  There  he  sat  down  with 
his  head  in  his  hands,  and  there  his  friend  Kenyon 
found  him. 


HE    MADE    HIS    WAY    AS    BEST    HE   COULD   GROPING    LIKE    A    BLIND   MAN." — 


CHAPTER  IX. 

"  TELL  me  what  has  happened,"  demanded  John 
Kenyon. 

Wentworth  looked  up  at  him. 

"  Everything  has  happened,"  he  answered. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  George  ?  Are  you  ill  ?  What 
is  the  matter  with  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  worse  than  ill,  John — a  great  deal  worse  than 
ill.  I  wish  I  were  ill." 

"  That  wouldn't  help  things,  whatever  is  wrong. 
Come,  wake  up.  Tell  me  what  the  trouble  is." 

"  John,  I  am  a  fool — an  ass — a  gibbering  idiot." 

"  Admitting  that,  what  then  ?  " 

"  I  trusted  a  woman — imbecile  that  I  am  ;  and  now 
— now — I'm  what  you  see  me." 

"  Has — has  Miss  Brewster  anything  to  do  with  it?  " 
asked  Kenyon  suspiciously. 

"  She  has  everything  to  do  with  it." 

"  Has  she — rejected  you,  George?" 

"What!  that  girl?  Oh,  you're  the  idiot  now.  Do 
you  think  I  would  ask  her  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  be  blamed  for  jumping  at  conclusions. 
You  must  remember  '  that  girl,'  as  you  call  her,  has 
had  most  of  your  company  during  this  voyage ;  and 

73 


74  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

most  of  your  good  words  when  you  were  not  with  her. 
What  is  the  matter?  What  has  she  to  do  with  your 
trouble?  " 

Wentworth  paced  up  and  down  the  narrow  limits  of 
the  state-room  as  if  he  were  -caged.  He  smote  his 
hand  against  his  thigh,  while  Kenyon  looked  at  him 
in  wonder. 

"  I  don't  know  how  I  can  tell  you,  John,"  he  said. 
"  I  must  of  course  ;  but  I  don't  know  how  I  can." 

"Come  on  deck  with  me." 

"  Never." 

"  Come  out,  I  say,  into  the  fresh  air.  It  is  stuffy 
here,  and,  besides,  there  is  more  danger  of  being  over- 
heard in  the  state-room  than  on  deck.  Come  along, 
old  fellow." 

He  caught  his  companion  by  the  arm,  and  partly 
dragged  him  out  of  the  room,  closing  the  door  behind 
him. 

"  Pull  yourself  together,"  he  said.  "A  little  fresh 
air  will  do  you  good." 

They  made  their  way  to  the  deck,  and,  linking  arms, 
walked  up  and  down.  For  a  long  time  Wentworth 
said  nothing,  and  Kenyon  had  the  tact  to  hold  his 
peace.  Suddenly  Wentworth  noticed  that  they  were 
pacing  back  and  forth  in  front  of  Miss  Brewster,  so  he 
drew  his  friend  away  to  another  part  of  the  ship. 
After  a  few  turns  up  and  down,  he  said  : 

"You  remember  Rivers,  of  course." 

"  Distinctly." 

"  He  was  employed  on  that  vile  sheet,  the  New  York 
Argus." 

"  I  suppose  it  is  a  vile  sheet.  I  don't  remember  ever 
seeing  it.  Yes,  I  know  he  was  connected  with  that 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  75 

paper.  What  then  ?  What  has  Miss  Brewster  to  do 
with  Rivers?  " 

"She  is  one  of  the  Argus  staff,  too." 

"  George  Wentworth,  you  don't  mean  to  tell  me 
that !  " 

"  I  do." 

"  And  is  she  here  to  find  out  about  the  mine  ?  " 

"  Exactly.  She  was  put  on  the  job  after  Rivers  had 
failed." 

"  George  !  "  said  Kenyon,  suddenly  dropping  his 
companion's  arm  and  facing  him.  "What  have  you 
told  her?" 

"  There  is  the  misery  of  it.  I  have  told  her  every- 
thing." 

"  My  dear  fellow,  how  could  you  be — 

"  Oh,  I  know— I  know !  I  know  everything  you 
would  say.  Everything  you  can  say  I  have  said  to 
myself,  and  ten  times  more  and  ten  times  worse. 
There  is  nothing  you  can  say  of  me  more  bitter  than 
what  I  think  about  myself." 

"  Did  you  tell  her  anything  about  my  report  ?  " 

"  I  told  her  everything — everything  !  Do  you  under- 
stand ?  She  is  going  to  telegraph  from  Queenstown 
the  full  essence  of  the  reports — of  both  our  reports." 

"  Heavens !  this  is  fearful.  Is  there  no  way  to  pre- 
vent her  sending  it  ?  " 

"If  you  think  you  can  prevent  her,  I  wish  you  would 
try  it." 

"  How  did  you  find  it  out  ?     Did  she  tell  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  it  doesn't  matter  how  I  found  it  out.  I  did  find 
it  out.  A  man  told  me  who  she  was  ;  then  I  asked  her, 
and  she  was  perfectly  frank  about  it.  She  read  me  the 
report,  even." 


76  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"Read  it  to  you?" 

"  Yes,  read  it  to  me,  and  punctuated  it  in  my  presence 
— put  in  some  words  that  I  suggested  as  being  better 
than  those  she  had  used.  Oh,  it  was  the  coolest  piece 
of  work  you  ever  saw  !  " 

"  But  there  must  be  some  way  of  preventing  her 
getting  that  account  to  New  York  in  time.  You  see, 
all  we  have  to  do  is  to  wire  your  people  to  hand  in  our 
report  to  the  directors,  and  then  hers  is  forestalled. 
She  has  to  telegraph  from  a  British  office,  and  it 
seems  to  me  that  we  could  stop  her  in  some  way." 

"  As,  for  instance,  how  ?  " 

"Oh,  I  don't  know  just  how  at  the  moment,  but  we 
ought  to  be  able  to  do  it.  If  it  were  a  man,  we  could 
have  him  arrested  as  a  dynamiter  or  something;  but 
a  woman,  of  course,  is  more  difficult  to  deal  with. 
George,  I  would  appeal  to  her  better  nature  if  I  were 
you." 

Wentworth  laughed  sneeringly. 

"  Better  nature  ?  "  he  said.  "  She  hasn't  any  ;  and  that 
is  not  the  w£>rst  of  it.  She  has  '  calculated,'  as  she 
calls  it,  all  the  possibilities  in  the  affair ;  she  '  calcu- 
lates '  that  we  will  reach  Queenstown  about  Saturday 
night.  If  we  do,  she  will  get  her  report  through  in 
time  to  be  published  on  Sunday  in  i\\eNew  York  Argus. 
If  that  is  the  case,  then  see  where  our  telegram  will  be. 
We  telegraph  our  people  to  send  in  the  report.  It 
reaches  the  office  Saturday  night,  and  is  not  read.  The 
office  closes  at  two  o'clock;  but  even  if  they  got  it,  and 
understood  the  urgency  of  the  matter,  they  could  not 
place  the  papers  before  the  directors  until  Monday 
morning,  and  by  Monday  morning  it  will  be  in  the 
London  financial  sheets," 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  77 

"  George,  that  woman  is  a  fiend." 

"No,  she  isn't,  John.  She  is  merely  a  clever  Ameri- 
can journalist,  who  thinks  she  has  done  a  very  good 
piece  of  work  indeed,  and  who,  through  the  stupidity 
of  one  man,  has  succeeded,  that's  all." 

"  Have  you  made  any  appeal  to  her  at  all  ?  " 

"  Oh,  haven't  I  ?  Of  course  I  have.  What  good  did 
it  do  ?  She  merely  laughed  at  me.  Don't  you  under- 
stand? That  is  what  she  is  here  for.  Her  whole 
voyage  is  for  that  one  purpose  ;  and  it's  not  likely  the 
woman  is  going  to  forego  her  triumph  after  having 
succeeded — more  especially  as  somebody  else  in  the 
same  office  has  failed.  That's  what  gives  additional 
zest  to  what  she  has  done.  The  fact  that  Rivers  has 
failed,  and  she  has  triumphed,  seems  to  be  the  great 
feather  in  her  cap." 

"  Then,"  said  Kenyon,  "  I'm  going  to  appeal  to  Miss 
Brewster  myself." 

"  Very  well.  I  wish  you  joy  of  your  job.  But  do 
what  you  can,  John,  there's  a  good  fellow.  Meanwhile, 
I  want  to  be  alone  somewhere." 

Wentworth  went  down  the  stairway  that  led  to  the 
steerage  department,  and  for  a  few  moments  sat  among 
the  steerage  passengers.  Then  he  climbed  up  another 
ladder,  and  got  to  the  very  front  of  the  ship.  Here  he 
sat  down  on  a  coil  of  rope,  and  thought  over  the  situa- 
tion. Thinking,  however,  did  him  very  little  good. 
He  realized  that,  even  if  he  got  hold  of  the  paper  Miss 
Brewster  had,  she  could  easily  write  another.  She 
had  the  facts  in  her  head,  and  all  that  she  needed  to  do 
was  to  get  to  a  telegraph-office  and  there  hand  in  her 
message. 

Meanwhile,  Kenyon  took  a  few  turns  up  and  down 


78  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

the  deck,  thinking  deeply  on  the  same  subject.  He 
passed  over  to  the  side  where  Miss  Brewster  sat,  but 
on  coming  opposite  her  had  not  the  courage  to  take  his 
place  beside  her.  She  was  calmly  reading  her  book. 
Three  times  he  came  opposite  her,  paused  for  a  moment, 
and  then  continued  his  hopeless  march.  He  saw  that 
his  courage  was  not  going  to  be  sufficient  for  the  task, 
and  yet  he  felt  the  task  must  be  accomplished.  He 
didn't  know  how  to  begin.  He  didn't  know  what 
inducement  to  offer  the  young  woman  for  foregoing  the 
fruits  of  her  ingenuity.  He  felt  that  this  was  the  weak 
point  in  his  armor.  The  third  time  he  paused  in 
front  of  Miss  Brewster;  she  looked  up  and  motioned 
him  to  the  chair  beside  her,  saying  : 

"  I  do  not  know  you  very  well,  Mr.  Kenyon,  but  I 
know  who  you  are.  Won't  you  sit  down  here  for 
a  moment  ?  " 

The  bewildered  man  took  the  chair  she  indicated. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Kenyon,  I  know  just  what  is  troubling 
you.  You  have  passed  three  or  four  times  wishing  to 
sit  down  beside  me,  and  yet  afraid  to  venture.  Is  that 
not  true?" 

"Quite  true." 

"  I  knew  it  was.  Now  I  know  also  what  you  have 
come  for.  Mr.  Wentworth  has  told  you  what  the 
trouble  is.  He  has  told  you  that  he  has  given  me  all 
the  particulars  about  the  mines,  hasn't  he?" 

"  He  has." 

"And  he  has  gone  off  to  his  state-room  to  think  over 
the  matter,  and  has  left  the  affair  in  your  hands,  and 
you  imagine  you  can  come  here  to  me  and,  perhaps, 
talk  me  out  of  sending  that  despatch  to  the  Argus. 
Isn't  that  your  motive?  " 


WON'T  vor  sir  ixr.vx  HERE  FOR  A  MOMENT  ?  "—Page  ^8. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  79 

"  That  is  about  what  I  hope  to  be  able  to  do,"  said 
Kenyon,  mopping  his  brow. 

"  Well,  I  thought  I  might  just  as  well  put  you  out  of 
your  misery  at  once.  You  take  things  very  seriously, 
Mr.  Kenyon — I  can  see  that.  Now,  don't  you?" 

"I  am  afraid  I  do." 

"  Why,  of  course  you  do.  The  publication  of  this,  as 
I  told  Mr.  Wentworth,  will  really  not  matter  at  all.  It 
will  not  be  any  reflection  on  either  of  you,  because  your 
friends  will  be  sure  that,  if  you  had  known  to  whom 
you  were  talking,  you  would  never  have  said  anything 
about  the  mines." 

Kenyon  smiled  grimly  at  this  piece  of  comfort. 

"  Now,  I  have  been  thinking  about  something  since 
Mr.  Wentworth  went  away.  I  am  really  very  sorry 
for  him.  I  am  more  sorry  than  I  can  tell." 

"  Then,"  said  Kenyon  eagerly,  "  won't  you 

"  No,  I  won't,  so  we  needn't  recur  to  that  phase  of  the 
subject.  That  is  what  I  am  here  for,  and,  no  matter 
what  you  say,  the  despatch  is  going  to  be  sent.  Now, 
it  is  better  to  understand  that  at  the  first,  and  then  it 
will  create  no  trouble  afterwards.  Don't  you  think  that 
is  the  best  ?  " 

"  Probably,"  answered  the  wretched  man. 

"  Well,  then,  let  us  start  there.  I  will  say  in  the 
cablegram  that  the  information  comes  from  neither 
Mr.  Kenyon  nor  Mr.  Wentworth." 

"  Yes,  but  that  wouldn't  be  true." 

"  Why,  of  course  it  wouldn't  be  true  ;  but  that  doesn't 
matter,  does  it  ?  " 

"Well,  on  our  side  of  the  water,"  said  Kenyon,  "we 
think  the  truth  does  matter." 

Miss  Brewster  laughed  heartily. 


8o  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Dear  me  !  "  she  said,  "  what  little  tact  you  have  ! 
How  does  it  concern  you  whether  it  is  true  or  not  ?  If 
there  is  any  falsehood,  it  is  not  you  who  tell  it,  so  you 
are  free  from  all  blame.  Indeed,  you  are  free  from  all 
blame  anyhow,  in  this  affair ;  it  is  all  your  friend 
Wentworth's  fault ;  but  still,  if  it  hadn't  been  Went- 
worth,  it  would  have  been  you." 

Kenyon  looked  up  at  her  incredulously. 

"  Oh  yes,  it  would,"  she  said,  nodding  confidently  at 
him.  "You  must  not  flatter  yourself,  because  Mr. 
Wentworth  told  me  everything  about  it,  that  you 
wouldn't  have  done  just  the  same,  if  I  had  had  to  find 
it  out  from  you.  All  men  are  pretty  much  alike  where 
women  are  concerned." 

"Can  I  say  nothing  to  you,  Miss  Brewster, 
which  will  keep  you  from  sending  the  message  to 
America?" 

"  You  cannot,  Mr.  Kenyon.  I  thought  we  had  settled 
that  at  the  beginning.  I  see  there  is  no  use  talking 
to  you.  I  will  return  to  my  book,  which  is  very  in- 
teresting. Good-morning,  Mr.  Kenyon." 

Kenyon  felt  the  hopelessness  of  his  project  quite  as 
much  as  Wentworth  had  done,  and,  thrusting  his 
hands  deep  into  his  pockets,  he  wandered  disconso- 
lately up  and  down  the  deck. 

As  he  went  to  the  other  side  of  the  deck,  he  met 
Miss  Longworth  walking  alone.  She  smiled  a  cordial 
welcome  to  him,  so  he  turned  and  changed  his  step  to 
suit  hers. 

"May  I  walk  with  you  a  few  minutes?"  he  said. 

"  Of  course  you  may,"  was  the  reply.  "  What  is  the 
matter?  You  are  looking  very  unhappy." 

"  My   comrade   and   myself  are    in    great   trouble, 


''HE   TURNED   A.XlJ   CHANGED    HIS   STEP    TO   SUIT    HERS." — Page  &O- 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  81 

and  I  thought  I  should  like  to  talk  with  you  about 
it." 

"  I  am  sure  if  there  is  anything  I  can  do  to  help 
you,  I  shall  be  most  glad  to  do  it." 

rt  Perhaps  you  may  suggest  something.  You  see, 
two  men  dealing  with  one  woman  are  perfectly  help- 
less." 

"  Ah,  who  is  the  one  woman — not  I,  is  it  ?  " 

"  No,  not  you,  Miss  Longworth.  I  wish  it  were, 
then  we  would  have  no  trouble." 

"Oh,  thank  you." 

"  You  see,  it  is  like  this :  When  we  were  in  Quebec — 
I  think  I  told  you  about  that — the  New  York  Argus 
sent  a  man  to  find  out  what  we  had  reported,  or  were 
going  to  report,  to  the  London  Syndicate." 

"Yes,  you  told  me  that." 

"  Rivers  was  his  name.  Well,  this  same  paper, 
finding  that  Rivers  had  failed  after  having  stolen  the 
documents,  has  tried  a  much  more  subtle  scheme, 
which  promises  to  be  successful.  They  have  put  on 
board  this  ship  a  young  woman,  who  has  gained  a 
reputation  for  learning  secrets  not  intended  for  the 
public.  This  young  woman  is  Miss  Brewster,  who  sits 
next  Wentworth  at  the  table.  Fate  seems  to  have 
played  right  into  her  hand  and  placed  her  beside  him. 
They  became  acquainted,  and,  unfortunately,  my  friend 
has  told  her  a  great  deal  about  the  mines,  which  she 
professed  an  interest  in.  Or,  rather,  she  pretended  to 
have  an  interest  in  him,  and  so  he  spoke,  being,  of 
course,  off  his  guard.  There  is  no  more  careful  fellow 
in  the  world  than  George  Wentworth,  but  a  man  does 
not  expect  that  a  private  conversation  with  a  lady  will 
ever  appear  in  a  newspaper." 


82  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Naturally  not. 

"  Very  well,  that  is  the  state  of  things.  In  some 
manner  Wentworth  came  to  know  that  this  young 
woman  was  the  special  correspondent  of  the  New  York 
Argus.  He  spoke  to  her  about  it,  and  she  is  perfectly 
frank  in  saying  she  is  here  solely  for  the  purpose  of 
finding  out  what  the  reports  will  be,  and  that  the 
moment  she  gets  to  Queenstown  she  will  cable  what 
she  has  discovered  to  New  York." 

"  Dear  me !  that  is  very  perplexing.  What  have 
you  done?  " 

"  We  have  done  nothing  so  far,  or  rather,  I  should 
say,  we  have  tried  everything  we  could  think  of,  and 
have  accomplished  nothing.  Wentworth  has  appealed 
to  her,  and  I  made  a  clumsy  attempt  at  an  appeal  also, 
but  it  was  of  no  use.  I  feel  my  own  helplessness  in 
this  matter,  and  Wentworth  is  completely  broken 
down  over  it." 

"  Poor  fellow !  I  am  sure  of  that.  Let  me  think  a 
moment." 

They  walked  up  and  down  the  deck  in  silence  for  a 
few  minutes.  Then  Miss  Longworth  looked  up  at 
Kenyon,  and  said : 

"  Will  you  place  this  matter  in  my  hands  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  if  you  will  be  so  kind  as  to  take  any 
interest  in  it." 

"  I  take  a  great  deal  of  interest.  Of  course,  you 
know  my  father  is  deeply  concerned  in  it  also,  so  I 
am  acting  in  a  measure  for  him." 

"  Have  you  any  plan  ?  " 

"Yes;  my  plan  is  simply  this:  The  young  wo- 
man is  working  for  money ;  now,  if  we  can  offer  her 
more  than  her  paper  gives,  she  will  very  quickly 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  83 

accept,  or  I  am  much  mistaken  in  the  kind  of  woman 
she  is." 

"  Ah,  yes,"  said  Kenyon  ;  "  but  we  haven't  the 
money,  you  see." 

"  Never  mind ;  the  money  will  be  quickly  forth- 
coming. Don't  trouble  any  more  about  it.  1  am  sure 
that  can  be  arranged." 

Kenyon  thanked  her,  looking  his  gratitude  rather 
than  speaking  it,  for  he  was  an  unready  man,  and  she 
bade  him  good-bye  until  she  could  think  over  her  plan. 

That  evening  there  was  a  tap  at  the  state-room  door 
of  Miss  Jennie  Brewster. 

"  Come  in,"  cried  the  occupant. 

Miss  Longworth  entered,  and  the  occupant  of  the 
room  looked  up,  with  a  frown,  from  her  writing. 

"  May  I  have  a  few  moments'  conversation  with 
you  ?  "  asked  the  visitor  gravely. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Miss  JENNIE  BREWSTER  was  very  much  annoyed 
at  being  interrupted,  and  she  took  no  pains  to  conceal 
her  feelings.  She  was  writing  an  article  entitled 
"  How  People  kill  Time  on  Shipboard,"  and  she  did 
not  wish  to  be  disturbed  ;  besides,  as  she  often  said 
of  herself,  she  was  not  "  a  woman's  woman,"  and  she 
neither  liked,  nor  was  liked  by,  her  own  sex. 

"  I  desire  a  few  moments'  conversation  with  you,  if 
I  have  your  permission,"  said  Edith  Longworth,  as  she 
closed  the  door  behind  her. 

"Certainly,"  answered  Jennie  Brewster.  "Will  you 
sit  down  ?  " 

"Thank  you,"  replied  the  other,  as  she  took  a  seat 
on  the  sofa.  "  I  do  not  know  just  how  to  begin  what 
I  wish  to  say.  Perhaps  it  will  be  better  to  commence 
by  telling  you  that  I  know  why  you  are  on  board  this 
steamer." 

"  Yes ;  and  why  am  I  on  board  the  steamer,  may  I 
ask  ?  " 

"  You  are  here,  I  understand,  to  get  certain  informa- 
tion from  Mr.  Wentworth.  You  have  obtained  it,  and 
it  is  in  reference  to  this  that  I  have  come  to  see  you." 

"  Indeed !  and  are  you  so  friendly  with  Mr.  Went- 
worth that  you " 

84 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  85 

"  I  scarcely  know  Mr.  Wentworth  at  all." 

"Then,  why  do  you  come  on  a  mission  from  him?" 

"  It  is  not  a  mission  from  him.  It  is  not  a  mission 
from  anyone.  I  was  speaking  to  Mr.  Kenyon,  or 
rather,  Mr.  Kenyon  was  speaking  to  me,  about  a  sub- 
ject which  troubled  him  greatly.  It  is  a  subject  in 
which  my  father  is  interested.  My  father  is  a  member 
of  the  London  Syndicate,  and  he  naturally  would  not 
desire  to  have  your  intended  cable  message  sent  to 
New  York." 

"  Really ;  are  you  quite  sure  that  you  are  not  speak- 
ing less  for  your  father  than  for  your  friend  Kenyon  ?" 

Anger  burned  in  Miss  Longworth's  face,  and  flashed 
from  her  eyes  as  she  answered : 

"  You  must  not  speak  to  me  in  that  way." 

"  Excuse  me,  I  shall  speak  to  you  in  just  the  way  I 
please.  I  did  not  ask  for  this  conference  ;  you  did,  and 
as  you  have  taken  it  upon  yourself  to  come  into  this 
room  uninvited,  you  will  have  to  put  up  with  what 
you  hear.  Those  who  interfere  with  other  people's 
business,  as  a  general  thing,  do  not  have  a  nice 
time." 

"  I  quite  appreciated  all  the  possible  disagreeableness 
of  coming  here,  when  I  came." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,  because  if  you  hear  anything 
you  do  not  like,  you  will  not  be  disappointed,  and  will 
have  only  yourself  to  thank  for  it." 

"  I  would  like  to  talk  about  this  matter  in  a  spirit  of 
friendliness  if  I  can.  I  think  nothing  is  to  be  attained 
\>y  speaking  in  any  other  way." 

"  Very  well,  then.  What  excuse  have  you  to  give  me 
for  coming  into  my  state-room  to  talk  about  business 
which  does  not  concern  you  ?  " 


86  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Miss  Brewster,  it  does  concern  me — it  concerns  my 
father,  and  that  concerns  me.  I  am,  in  a  measure, 
my  father's  private  secretary,  and  am  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  all  the  business  he  has  in  hand.  This 
particular  business  is  his  affair,  and  therefore  mine. 
That  is  the  reason  I  am  here." 

"Are  you  sure?  " 

"Am  I  sure  of  what?" 

"  Are  you  sure  that  what  you  say  is  true?  " 

"  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  speaking  anything  but  the 
truth." 

"  Perhaps  you  flatter  yourself  that  is  the  case,  but  it 
does  not  deceive  me.  You  merely  come  here  because 
Mr.  Kenyon  is  in  a  muddle  about  what  I  am  going  to 
do.  Isn't  that  the  reason  ?  " 

Miss  Longworth  saw  that  her  task  was  going  to  be 
even  harder  than  she  had  expected. 

"  Suppose  we  let  all  question  of  motive  rest  ?  I 
have  come  here — I  have  asked  your  permission  to 
speak  on  this  subject,  and  you  have  given  me  the  per- 
mission. Having  done  so,  it  seems  to  me  you  should 
hear  me  out.  You  say  that  I  should  not  be  offended — 

"  I  didn't  say  so.  I  do  not  care  a  rap  whether  you 
are  offended  or  not." 

"You  at  least  said  I  might  hear  something  that 
would  not  be  pleasant.  What  I  wanted  to  say  is  this: 
I  have  taken  the  risk  of  that,  and,  as  you  remark, 
whether  I  am  offended  or  not  does  not  matter.  Now 
we  will  come  to  the  point — 

"Just  before  you  come  to  the  point,  please  let  me 
know  if  Mr.  Kenyon  told  you  he  had  spoken  to  me  on 
this  subject  already." 

"Yes,  he  told  me  so." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  87 

"  Did  he  tell  you  that  his  friend  Wentworth  had 
also  had  a  conversation  with  me  about  it  ?  " 

"Yes,  he  told  me  that  also." 

"  Very  well,  then,  if  those  two  men  can  do  nothing 
to  shake  my  purpose,  how  do  you  expect  to  do  it  ?  " 

"  That  is  what  I  am  about  to  tell  you.  This  is  a 
commercial  world,  and  I  am  a  commercial  man's 
daughter.  I  recognize  the  fact  that  you  are  going  to 
cable  this  information  for  the  money  it  brings.  Is 
that  not  the  case  ?  " 

"  It  is  partly  the  case." 

"  For  what  other  consideration  do  you  work,  then  ?  " 

"  For  the  consideration  of  being  known  as  one  of 
the  best  newspaper  women  in  the  city  of  New  York. 
That  is  the  other  consideration." 

"  I  understood  you  were  already  known  as  the  most 
noted  newspaper  woman  in  New  York." 

This  remark  was  much  more  diplomatic  than  Miss 
Longworth  herself  suspected. 

Jennie  Brewster  looked  rather  pleased,  then  she 
said  : 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know  about  that ;  but  I  intend  it  shall 
be  so  before  a  year  is  past." 

"  Very  well,  you  have  plenty  of  time  to  accomplish 
your  object  without  using  the  information  you  have 
obtained  on  board  this  ship.  Now,  as  I  was  saying, 
the  New  York  Argus  pays  you  a  certain  amount  for 
doing  this  work.  If  you  will  promise  not  to  send  the 
report  over  to  that  paper,  I  will  give  you  a  cheque  for 
double  the  sum  the  Argus  will  pay  you,  besides  refund- 
ing all  your  expenses  twice  over." 

"  In  other  words,  you  ask  me  to  be  bribed  and  refuse 
to  perform  my  duty  to  the  paper." 


88  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  It  isn't  bribery.  I  merely  pay  you,  or  will  pay  you, 
double  what  you  will  receive  from  that  paper.  I  pre- 
sume your  connection  with  it  is  purely  commercial. 
You  work  for  it  because  you  receive  a  certain  amount 
of  money ;  if  the  editor  found  someone  who  would  do 
the  same  work  cheaper,  he  would  at  once  employ  that 
person,  and  your  services  would  be  no  longer  required. 
Is  that  not  true  ?  " 

"Yes,  it  is  true." 

"  Very  well,  then,  the  question  of  duty  hardly  enters 
into  such  a  compact.  They  have  sent  you  on  what 
would  be  to  most  people  a  very  difficult  mission.  You 
have  succeeded.  You  have,  therefore,  in  your  posses- 
sion something  to  sell.  The  New  York  paper  will  pay 
you  a  certain  sum  in  cash  for  it.  I  offer  you,  for  the 
same  article,  double  the  price  the  New  York  Argus  will 
pay  you.  Is  not  that  a  fair  offer?" 

Jennie  Brewster  had  arisen.  She  clasped  and  un- 
clasped her  hands  nervously.  For  a  small  space  of 
time  nothing  was  said,  and  Edith  Longworth  imagined 
she  had  gained  her  point.  The  woman  standing  looked 
down  at  the  woman  sitting. 

"  Do  you  know  all  the  particulars  about  the  attempt 
to  get  this  information  ?"  asked  Miss  Brewster. 

"  I  know  some  of  them.  What  particulars  do  you 
mean?" 

"  Do  you  know  that  a  man  from  the  Argus  tried  to 
get  this  information  from  Mr.  Kenyon  and  Mr.  Went- 
worth  in  Canada?" 

"Yes;  I  know  about  that." 

"  Do  you  know  that  he  stole  the  reports,  and  that 
they  were  taken  from  him  before  he  could  use  them  ?  " 

"  Yes." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  89 

"  Do  you  know  he  offered  Mr.  Kenyon  and  Mr.  Went- 
worth  double  the  price  the  London  Syndicate  would 
have  paid  them,  on  condition  they  gave  him  a  synop- 
sis of  the  reports?  " 

"Yes,  I  know  that  also." 

"  Do  you  know  that,  in  doing  what  he  asked,  they 
would  not  have  been  keeping  back  for  a  single  day  the 
real  report  from  the  people  who  engaged  them  ?  You 
know  all  that,  do  you  ?  " 

"Yes;  I  know  all  that." 

"  Very  well,  then.  Now  you  ask  me  to  do  very  much 
more  than  Rivers  asked  them,  because  you  ask  me  to 
keep  my  paper  completely  in  the  dark  about  the 
information  I  have  got.  Isn't  that  so  ?  " 

"Yes,  you  can  keep  them  in  the  dark  until  after  the 
report  has  been  given  to  the  directors  ;  then,  of  course, 
you  can  do  what  you  please  with  the  information." 

"  Ah,  but  by  that  time  it  will  be  of  no  value.  By 
that  time  it  will  have  been  published  in  the  London 
financial  papers.  At  that  time  anybody  can  get  it. 
Isn't  that  the  case?" 

"  I  suppose  so." 

"  Now,  I  want  to  ask  you  one  other  question,  Miss— 
Miss — I  don't  think  you  told  me  your  name." 

"  My  name  is  Edith  Longworth." 
"Very  well,  Miss  Longworth.  I  want  to  ask  you 
one  more  question.  What  do  you  think  of  the  con- 
duct of  Mr.  Kenyon  and  Mr.  Wentworth  in  refusing 
to  take  double  what  they  had  been  promised  for  mak- 
ing the  report  ?  " 

"What  do  I  think  of  them  ?"  repeated  the  girl. 

"  Yes  ;  what  do  you  think  of  them  ?  You  hesitate. 
You  realize  that  you  are  in  a  corner.  You  think  Mr. 


90  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

Wentworth  and  Mr.  Kenyon  did  very  nobly  in  refus- 
ing Rivers'  offer?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do." 

"  So  do  I.  I  think  they  acted  rightly,  and  did  as 
honorable  men  should  do.  Now,  when  you  think 
that  Miss  Longworth,  how  dare  you  come  and  offer 
me  double,  or  three  times,  or  four  times,  the  amount 
my  paper  gives  to  me  for  getting  this  information  ? 
Do  you  think  that  I  am  any  less  honorable  than 
Kenyon  or  Wentworth  ?  Your  offer  is  an  insult  to 
me;  nobody  but  a  woman,  and  a  woman  of  your 
class,  would  have  made  it.  Kenyon  wouldn't  have 
made  it.  Wentworth  wouldn't  have  made  it.  You 
come  here  to  bribe  me.  You  come  here  to  do  ex- 
actly what  J.  K.  Rivers  tried  to  do  for  the  Argus 
in  Canada.  You  think  money  will  purchase  any- 
thing— that  is  the  thought  of  all  your  class.  Now,  I 
want  you  to  understand  that  I  am  a  woman  of  the 
people.  I  was  born  and  brought  up  in  poverty  in  New 
York.  You  were  born  and  brought  up  amid  luxury  in 
London.  I  have  suffered  privation  and  hardships  that 
you  know  nothing  of,  and,  even  if  you  read  about 
them,  you  wouldn't  understand.  You,  with  the 
impudence  of  your  class,  think  you  can  come  to  me 
and  bribe  me  to  betray  my  employer.  I  am  here  to 
do  a  certain  thing,  and  I  am  going  to  do  that  certain 
thing  in  spite  of  all  the  money  that  all  the  Longworths 
ever  possessed,  or  ever  will  possess.  Do  I  make  my- 
self sufficiently  plain  ?  " 

"Yes,  Miss  Brewster.  I  don't  think  anyone  could 
misunderstand  you." 

"  Well,  I  am  glad  of  that,  because  one  can  never  tell 
how  thickheaded  some  people  may  be," 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  91 

"  Do  you  think  there  is  any  parallel  between  your 
case  and  Mr.  Wentworth's  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do.  We  were  each  sent  to  do  a  certain 
piece  of  work.  We  each  did  our  work.  We  have 
both  been  offered  a  bribe  to  cheat  our  employers  of 
the  fruits  of  our  labor ;  only  in  my  case  it  is  very  much 
worse  than  in  Wentworth's,  because  his  employers 
would  not  have  suffered,  while  mine  will." 

"  This  is  all  very  plausible,  Miss  Brewster,  but  now 
allow  me  to  tell  you  that  what  you  have  done  is  a  most 
dishonorable  thing,  and  that  you  are  a  disgrace  to  our 
common  womanhood.  You  have  managed,  during  a 
very  short  acquaintance,  to  win  the  confidence  of  a 
man — there  is  a  kind  of  woman  who  know  how  to  do 
that :  I  thank  Heaven  I  am  not  of  that  class ;  I  prefer 
to  belong  to  the  class  you  have  just  now  been  reviling. 
Some  men  have  an  inherent  respect  for  all  women  ; 
Mr.  Wentworth  is  apparently  one  of  those,  and,  while 
he  was  on  his  guard  with  a  man,  he  was  not  on  his 
guard  with  a  woman.  You  took  advantage  of  that, 
and  you  managed  to  secure  certain  information  which 
you  knew  he  would  never  have  given  you  if  he  had 
thought  it  was  to  be  published.  You  stole  that  informa- 
tion just  as  disreputably  as  that  man  stole  the  docu- 
ments from  Mr.  Kenyon's  pocket.  You  talk  of  your 
honor  and  your  truth  when  you  did  such  a  con- 
temptible thing !  You  prate  of  unbribeableness,  when 
the  only  method  possible  is  adopted  of  making  you  do 
what  is  right  and  just  and  honest!  Your  conduct 
makes  me  ashamed  of  being  a  woman.  A  thoroughly 
bad  woman  I  can  understand,  but  not  a  woman  like 
you,  who  trade  on  the  fact  that  you  are  a  woman,  and 
that  you  are  pretty,  and  that  you  have  a  pleasing 


92  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES 

manner.  You  use  those  qualities  as  a  thief  or  a 
counterfeiter  would  use  the  peculiar  talents  God  had 
given  him.  How  dare  you  pretend  for  a  moment  that 
your  case  is  similar  to  Mr.  Wentworth's?  Mr.  Went- 
worth  is  an  honorable  man,  engaged  in  an  honorable 
business;  as  for  you  and  your  business,  I  have  no 
words  to  express  my  contempt  for  both.  Picking 
pockets  is  reputable  compared  with  such  work." 

Edith  Longworth  was  now  standing  up,  her  face 
flushed  and  her  hands  clenched.  She  spoke  with  a 
vehemence  which  she  very  much  regretted  when  she 
thought  of  the  circumstance  afterwards ;  but  the 
chagrin  and  disappointment  at  failure,  where  she  had 
a  moment  before  been  sure  of  success,  overcame  her. 
Her  opponent  stood  before  her,  angry  and  pale.  At 
first  Edith  Longworth  thought  she  was  going  to  strike 
her,  but  if  any  such  idea  passed  through  the  brain  of 
the  journalist,  she  thought  better  of  it.  For  a  few 
moments  neither  spoke,  then  Jennie  Brewster  said, 
in  a  voice  of  unnatural  calmness : 

"  You  are  quite  welcome  to  your  opinion  of  me,  Miss 
Longworth,  and  I  presume  I  am  entitled  to  my  opinion 
of  Kenyon  and  Wentworth.  They  are  two  fools,  and 
you  are  a  third  in  thinking  you  can  control  the  actions 
of  a  woman  where  two  young  men  have  failed.  Do 
you  think  for  a  moment  I  would  grant  to  you,  a  woman 
of  a  class  I  hate,  what  I  would  not  grant  to  a  man 
like  Wentworth?  They  say  there  is  no  fool  like  an 
old  fool,  but  it  should  be  said  that  there  is  no  fool 
like  a  young  woman  who  has  had  everything  her  own 
way  in  this  world.  You  are — 

"  I  shall  not  stay  and  listen  to  your  abuse.  I  wish  to 
have  nothing  more  to  do  with  you." 


'OH    YES!    YOU   WILL   STAY.'    CRIED   THE   OTHER,    PLACING    HER    BACK   AGAINST 
THE   DOOR."—  Page  QS. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  93 

"  Oh  yes  !  you  will  stay,"  cried  the  other,  placing  her 
back  against  the  door.  "  You  came  here  at  your  own 
pleasure  ;  you  will  leave  at  mine.  I  will  tell  you  more 
truth  in  five  minutes  than  you  ever  heard  in  your  life 
before.  I  will  tell  you,  in  the  first  place,  that  my 
business  is  quite  as  honorable  as  Kenyon's  or  Went- 
worth's.  What  does  Kenyon  do  but  try  to  get  in- 
formation about  mines  which  other  people  are  vitally  in- 
terested in  keeping  from  him  ?  What  does  Wentworth 
do  but  ferret  about  among  accounts  like  a  detective 
trying  to  find  out  what  other  people  are  endeavoring 
to  conceal  ?  What  is  the  whole  mining  business  but  one 
vast  swindle,  whose  worst  enemy  is  the  press  ?  No 
wonder  anyone  connected  with  mining  fears  publicity. 
If  your  father  has  made  a  million  out  of  mines,  he  has 
made  it  simply  by  swindling  unfortunate  victims.  I  do 
my  business  my  way,  and  your  two  friends  do  theirs  in 
their  way.  Of  the  two,  I  consider  my  vocation  much 
the  more  upright.  Now  that  you  have  heard  what 
I  have  to  say,  you  may  go,  and  let  me  tell  you  that  I 
never  wish  to  see  you  or  speak  with  you  again." 

"  Thank  you  for  your  permission  to  go.  I  am  sure  I 
cordially  echo  your  wish  that  we  may  never  meet  again. 
I  may  say,  however,  that  I  am  sorry  I  spoke  to  you  in 
the  way  I  did.  It  is,  of  course,  impossible  for  you  to 
look  on  the  matter  from  my  point  of  view,  just  as  it  is 
impossible  for  me  to  look  upon  it  from  yours.  Never- 
theless, I  wish  you  would  forget  what  I  said,  and  think 
over  the  matter  a  little  more,  and  if  you  see  your  way 
to  accepting  my  offer  it  will  be  always  open  to  you. 
Should  you  forego  the  sending  of  that  cablegram,  I  will 
willingly  pay  you  three  times  what  the  New  York  Argus 
will  give  you  for  it.  I  do  not  offer  that  as  a  bribe ;  I 


94 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 


merely  offer  it  so  that  you  will  not  suffer  from  doing 
what  I  believe  to  be  a  just  action.  It  seems  to  me  a 
great  pity  that  two  young  men  should  have  to  endure 
a  serious  check  to  their  own  business  advancement 
because  one  of  them  was  foolish  enough  to  confide  in 
a  woman  in  whom  he  believed." 

Edith  Longworth  was  young,  and  therefore  scarcely 
likely  to  be  a  mistress  of  diplomacy,  but  she  might  have 
known  the  last  sentence  she  uttered  spoiled  the  effect 
of  all  that  had  gone  before. 

"  Really,  Miss  Longworth,  I  had  some  little  admira- 
tion for  you  when  you  blazed  out  at  me  in  the  way  you 
did ;  but  now,  when  you  coolly  repeat  your  offer  of  a 
bribe,  adding  one-third  to  it,  all  my  respect  for  you 
vanishes.  You  may  go  and  tell  those  who  sent  you 
that  nothing  under  heaven  can  prevent  that  cablegram 
being  sent." 

In  saying  this,  however,  Miss  Brewster  somewhat 
exceeded  her  knowledge.  Few  of  us  can  foretell  what 
may  or  may  not  happen  under  heaven. 


'SHE    HAD    A    GOOD   CRY   OVER    HER    FAILURE."— l\lgi;  Qj. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

EDITH  LONGWORTH  went  to  her  state-room,  and 
there  had  what  women  call  '  a  good  cry  '  over  her  failure. 
Jennie  Brewster  continued  her  writing,  every  now  and 
then  pausing  as  she  thought,  with  regret,  of  some  sharp 
thing  she  might  have  said,  which  did  not  occur  to  her 
at  the  time  of  the  interview.  Kenyon  spent  his  time 
in  pacing  up  and  down  the  deck  hoping  for  the 
reappearance  of  Miss  Longworth — an  expectation 
which,  for  a  time  at  least,  was  the  hope  deferred 
which  maketh  the  heart  sick.  Fleming,  the  New  York 
politician,  kept  the  smoking-room  merry,  listening  to 
the  stories  he  told.  He  varied  the  proceedings  by 
frequently  asking  everybody  to  drink  with  him,  an 
invitation  that  met  with  no  general  refusal.  Old  Mr. 
Longworth  dozed  most  of  his  time  in  his  steamer  chair. 
Wentworth,  who  still  bitterly  accused  himself  of  having 
been  a  fool,  talked  with  no  one,  not  even  his  friend 
Kenyon.  All  the  time,  the  great  steamship  kept  forg- 
ing along  through  the  reasonably  calm  water  just  as  if 
nothing  had  happened  or  was  going  to  happen.  There 
had  been  one  day  of  rain,  and  one  night  and  part  of  a 
day  of  storm.  Saturday  morning  broke,  and  it  was 
expected  that  some  time  in  the  night  Queenstown 
would  be  reached.  Early  on  Saturday  morning  the 

95 


96  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

clouds  looked  lowering,  as  they  have  a  right  to  look 
near  Ireland. 

Wentworth,  the  cause  of  all  the  worry,  gave  Kenyon 
very  little  assistance  in  the  matter  that  troubled  his 
mind.  He  was  in  the  habit,  when  the  subject  was 
referred  to,  of  thrusting  his  hands  into  his  hair,  or 
plunging  them  down  into  his  pockets,  and  breaking  out 
into  language  which  was  as  deplorable  as  it  was 
expressive.  The  more  Kenyon  advised  him  to  be  calm, 
the  less  Wentworth  followed  that  advice.  As  a  general 
thing,  he  spent  most  of  his  time  alone  in  a  very  gloomy 
state  of  mind.  On  one  occasion  when  the  genial 
Fleming  slapped  him  on  the  shoulder,  Wentworth,  to 
his  great  astonishment,  turned  fiercely  round  and  cried  : 

"  If  you  do  that  again,  sir,  I'll  knock  you  down." 

Fleming  said  afterwards  that  he  was  "  completely 
flabbergasted  "  by  this — whatever  that  may  mean — and 
he  added  that  the  English  in  general  were  a  queer 
race.  It  is  true  that  he  gathered  himself  together  at 
the  time,  and,  having  laughed  a  little  over  the  remark, 
said  to  Wentworth : 

"  Come  and  have  a  drink ;  then  you'll  feel  better." 

This  invitation  Wentworth  did  not  even  take  the 
trouble  to  decline,  but  thrust  his  hands  in  his  pockets 
once  more,  and  turned  his  back  on  the  popular  New 
York  politician. 

Wentworth  summed  up  the  situation  to  John  Ken- 
yon when  he  said  : 

"  There  is  no  use  in  our  talking  or  thinking  any  more 
about  it.  We  can  simply  do  nothing.  I  shall  take  the 
whole  blame  on  my  shoulders.  I  am  resolved  that  you 
shall  not  suffer  from  my  indiscretion.  Now,  don't  talk 
to  me  any  more  about  it.  I  want  to  forget  the  wretched 
business,  if  possible." 


"  SHE   WALKED  ALONE   WITH  A  SORT  OF   HALF-DEFIANT  LOOK."— Page  <fl. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  97 

So  thus  it  came  about  quite  naturally  that  John 
Kenyon,  who  was  a  good  deal  troubled  about  the 
matter,  took  as  his  confidante  Edith  Longworth,  who 
also  betrayed  the  greatest  interest  in  the  problem. 
Miss  Longworth  was  left  all  the  more  alone  because 
her  cousin  had  taken  permanently  to  the  smoking- 
room.  Someone  had  introduced  him  to  the  fasci- 
nating game  of  poker,  and  in  the  practice  of  this 
particular  amusement,  Mr.  William  Longworth  was 
now  spending  a  good  deal  of  his  surplus  cash,  as  well 
as  his  time. 

Jennie  Brewster  was  seldom  seen  on  deck.  She 
applied  herself  assiduously  to  the  writing  of  those 
brilliant  articles  which  appeared  later  in  the  Sunday 
edition  of  the  New  York  Argus  under  the  general 
title  of  "  Life  at  Sea,"  and  which  have  more  recently 
been  issued  in  book  form.  As  everybody  is  already 
aware,  her  sketches  of  the  genial  New  York  politi- 
cian and  also  of  the  taciturn,  glum  Englishman, 
are  considered  the  finest  things  in  the  little  volume. 
They  have  been  largely  copied  as  typical  examples  of 
American  humor. 

When  Jennie  Brewster  did  appear  on  deck,  she 
walked  alone  up  and  down  the  promenade,  with  a  sort 
of  half-defiant  look  in  her  eyes  as  she  passed  Kenyon 
or  Edith  Longworth,  and  she  generally  passed  them 
together. 

On  this  particularly  eventful  Saturday  morning, 
Kenyon  and  Edith  Longworth  had  the  deck  to  them- 
selves. The  conversation  naturally  turned  to  the 
subject  which  had  for  the  past  few  days  occupied  the 
minds  of  both. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  the  girl,  "  I  have  been  think- 


98  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

ing  all  along  that  she  will   come    to  me  at    the    last 
for  the  money." 

"  I  am  not  at  all  sure  about  that,"  answered 
Kenyon. 

"  I  thought  she  would  probably  keep  us  on  the 
tenterhooks  just  as  long  as  possible,  and  then  at  the 
last  moment  come  and  say  she  would  accept  the 
offer." 

"  If  she  does,"  said  Kenyon,  "  I  would  not  trust  her. 
I  would  give  her  to  understand  that  a  cheque  would 
be  handed  to  her  when  we  were  certain  the  article  had 
not  been  used." 

"  Do  you  think  that  would  be  a  safe  way  to  act  if 
she  came  and  said  she  would  take  the  money  for  not 
sending  the  cablegram  ?  Don't  you  think  it  would  be 
better  to  pay  her  and  trust  to  her  honor  ?  " 

Kenyon  laughed. 

"  I  do  not  think  I  would  trust  much  to  her  honor." 

"  Now,  do  you  know,  I  have  a  different  opinion  of  her. 
I  feel  sure  that  if  she  said  she  would  do  a  thing,  she 
woiild  do  it." 

"  I  have  no  such  faith,"  answered  Kenyon.  "  I  think, 
on  the  contrary,  that  she  is  quite  capable  of  asking 
you  for  the  money  and  still  sending  her  telegram." 

"  Well,  I  doubt  if  she  would  do  so.  I  think  the  girl 
really  believes  she  is  acting  rightly,  and  imagines  she 
has  done  a  very  creditable  action  in  a  very  clever  way. 
If  she  were  not  what  she  calls  '  honest,'  she  would 
not  have  shown  so  much  temper  as  she  did.  Not  but 
that  I  gave  a  deplorable  exhibition  of  temper  myself, 
for  which  there  was  really  no  excuse." 

"  I  am  sure,"  said  Kenyon  warmly,  "  you  did  nothing 
pf  the  kind.  At  all  events,  I  am  certain  everything 


'BOTH  KKXYOX  AND  MISS  LOXGWORTH  SPRAXG  TO  THEIR  FEET." — Page  )q. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  99 

you  did  was  perfectly  right ;  and  I  know  you  were 
completely  justified  in  anything  you  said. 

"  I  wish  I  could  think  so." 

"  I  want  to  ask  you  one  question,"  said  Kenyon. 

But  what  that  question  was  will  never  be  known.  It 
was  never  asked  ;  and  when  Edith  Longworth  inquired 
about  it  some  time  later,  the  question  had  entirely  gone 
from  Kenyon's  mind.  The  steamship,  which  was 
ploughing  along  through  the  waters,  suddenly  gave  a 
shiver,  as  if  it  were  shaken  by  an  earthquake ;  there 
were  three  tremendous  bumps,  such  as  a  sledge  might 
make  by  going  suddenly  over  logs  concealed  in  the 
snow.  Both  Kenyon  and  Miss  Longworth  sprang  to 
their  feet.  There  was  a  low  roar  of  steam,  and  they 
saw  a  cloud  rise  amidships,  apparently  pouring  out 
of  every  aperture  through  which  it  could  escape.  Then 
there  was  silence.  The  engines  had  stopped,  and  the 
vessel  heeled  distinctly  over  to  the  port  side.  When 
Edith  Longworth.  began  to  realize  the  situation,  she 
found  herself  very  close  to  Kenyon,  clasping  his  arm 
with  both  hands. 

"  What — what  is  it  ?  "  she  cried  in  alarm. 

"  Something  is  wrong,"  said  Kenyon.  "  Nothing 
serious,  I  hope.  Will  you  wait  here  a  moment  while  I 
go  and  see  ?  " 

"  It  is  stupid  of  me,"  she  answered,  releasing  his 
arm,  "  but  I  feel  dreadfully  frightened." 

"  Perhaps  you  would  rather  not  be  left  alone." 

"  Oh  no,  it  is  all  over  now ;  but  when  the  first  of 
those  terrible  shocks  came  it  seemed  to  me  we  had 
struck  a  rock." 

"  There  are  no  rocks  here,"  said  Kenyon.  "  The  day 
is  perfectly  clear,  and  we  are  evidently  not  out  of  our 


loo  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

course.  Something  has  gone  wrong  with  the  machin- 
ery, I  imagine.  Just  wait  a  moment,  and  I  will  find 
out." 

As  Kenyon  rushed  towards  the  companion-way,  he 
met  a  sailor  hurrying  in  the  other  direction. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  cried  Kenyon. 

The  sailor  gave  no  answer. 

On  entering  the  companion-way  door,  Kenyon 
found  the  place  full  of  steam,  and  he  ran  against  an 
officer. 

"  What  is  wrong  ?     Is  anything  the  matter  ?  " 

"  How  should  I  know?  "  was  the  answer,  very  curtly 
given.  "  Please  do  not  ask  any  questions.  Everything 
will  be  attended  to." 

This  was  scant  encouragement.  People  began 
crowding  up  the  companion-way,  coughing  and  wheez- 
ing in  the  steam ;  and  soon  the  deck,  that  but  a 
moment  before  had  been  almost  without  an  occupant, 
was  crowded  with  excited  human  beings  in  all  states 
of  dress  and  undress. 

"  What  is  wrong?  "  was  the  question  on  every  lip,  to 
which,  as  yet,  there  was  no  answer.  The  officers  who 
hurried  to  and  fro  were  mute,  or  gave  short  and  un- 
satisfactory replies  to  the  inquiries  which  poured  in 
upon  them.  People  did  not  pause  to  reflect  that  even 
an  officer  could  hardly  be  expected  to  know  off-hand 
what  the  cause  of  the  sudden  stoppage  of  the  engine 
might  be.  By-and-by  the  Captain  appeared,  smiling 
and  bland.  He  told  them  there  was  no  danger.  Some- 
thing had  gone  amiss  with  the  machinery,  exactly 
what  he  could  not,  at  the  moment,  tell ;  but  there  was 
no  necessity  for  being  panic-stricken,  everything  would 
be  all  right  in  a  short  time  if  they  merely  remained 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  101 

calm.  These,  and  a  lot  of  other  nautical  lies,  which 
are  always  told  on  such  occasions,  served  to  calm  the 
fears  of  the  crowd ;  and  by-and-by  one  after  another 
went  down  to  their  state-rooms  on  finding  the  vessel 
was  not  going  to  sink  immediately .  They  all  appeared 
some  time  afterward  in  more  suitable  apparel.  The 
steam  which  had  filled  the  saloon  soon  disappeared, 
leaving  the  furniture  dripping  with  warm  moisture. 
Finally,  the  loud  clang  of  the  breakfast-gong  sounded 
as  if  nothing  had  happened,  and  that  did  more,  perhaps, 
than  anything  else  to  allay  the  fears  of  the  passengers. 
If  breakfast  was  about  to  be  served,  then,  of  course, 
things  were  not  serious.  Nevertheless,  a  great  many 
people  that  morning  had  a  very  poor  appetite  for  the 
breakfast  served  to  them.  The  one  blessing,  as  every- 
body said,  was  that  the  weather  kept  so  fine  and  the  sea 
so  calm.  To  those  few  who  knew  anything  about  disas- 
ters at  sea,  the  list  of  the  ship  to  the  port  side  was  a  most 
serious  sign.  The  majority  of  the  passengers,  however, 
did  not  notice  it.  After  breakfast  people  came  up  on 
deck.  There  was  a  wonderful  avoidance  of  hurry,  alike 
by  officers  and  sailors.  Orders  were  given  calmly  and 
quietly,  and  as  calmly  and  quietly  obeyed.  Officers 
were  still  up  on  the  bridge,  although  there  were  no 
commands  to  give  to  the  man  at  the  wheel  and  no 
screw  turning.  The  helmsman  stood  at  the  wheel  as 
if  he  expected  at  any  time  the  order  to  turn  it  port  or 
starboard.  All  this  absence  of  rush  had  a  very  soothing 
effect  on  the  passengers,  many  of  whom  wanted  only 
a  slight  excuse  to  become  hysterical.  As  the  day  wore 
on,  however,  a  general  feeling  of  security  seemed  to 
have  come  upon  all  on  board.  They  one  and  all  con- 
'gratulated  themselves  on  the  fact  that  they  had  be- 


102  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

haved  in  a  most  exemplary  manner  considering  the 
somewhat  alarming  circumstances.  Nevertheless,  those 
who  watched  the  Captain  saw  that  he  swept  the  long 
line  of  the  horizon  through  his  glass  every  now  and 
then  with  a  good  deal  of  anxiety,  and  they  noticed  on 
looking  at  the  long  level  line  where  sea  and  sky  met 
that  not  a  sail  was  visible  around  the  complete  circle. 
Up  from  the  engine-room  came  the  clank  of  hammers, 
and  the  opinion  was  general  that,  whatever  was  amiss 
with  the  engine,  it  was  capable  of  being  repaired.  One 
thing  had  become  certain,  there  was  nothing  wrong 
with  the  shafts.  The  damage,  whatever  it  was,  had 
been  to  the  engine  alone.  All  of  the  passengers  found 
themselves  more  or  less  affected  by  the  peculiar  sensa- 
tion of  the  steamer  being  at  rest — the  awe-inspiring 
and  helpless  consciousness  of  complete  silence — after 
the  steady  throb  they  had  become  so  accustomed  to 
all  the  way  across.  That  night  at  dinner  the  Captain 
took  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  table,  urbane  and 
courteous  as  if  nothing  unusual  had  happened  ;  and  the 
people,  who,  notwithstanding  their  outward  calmness, 
were  in  a  state  of  anxious  tension,  noticed  this  with 
gratified  feelings. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  asked  a  passenger  of  the 
Captain  ;  "  and  what  is  the  extent  of  the  accident  ?  " 

The  Captain  looked  down  the  long  table. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  said  he,  "  that  if  I  went  into  technical 
details  you  would  not  understand  them.  There  was 
a  flaw  in  one  of  the  rods  connected  with  the  engine. 
That  rod  broke,  and  in  breaking  it  damaged  other 
parts  of  the  machinery.  Doubtless  you  heard  the  three 
thuds  which  it  gave  before  the  engine  was  stopped.  At 
present  it  is  impossible  to  tell  how  long  it  will  take  to 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  105 

repair  the  damage.  However,  even  if  the  accident 
were  serious,  we  are  right  in  the  track  of  vessels,  and 
there  is  no  danger." 

This  was  reassuring ;  but  those  who  lay  awake  that 
night  heard  the  ominous  sound  of  the  pumps,  and  the 
swishing  of  water  splashing  down  into  the  ocean. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

MOST  of  the  passengers  awoke  next  morning  with  a 
bewildering  feeling  of  vague  apprehension.  The  ab- 
sence of  all  motion  in  the  ship,  the  unusual  and  intense 
silence,  had  a  depressing  effect.  The  engines  had  not 
yet  started ;  that  at  least  was  evident.  Kenyon  was 
one  of  the  first  on  deck.  He  noticed  that  the  pumps 
were  still  working  at  their  full  speed,  and  that  the 
steamer  had  still  the  unexplained  list  to  port.  Happily, 
the  weather  continued  good,  so  far  as  the  quietness  of 
the  sea  was  concerned.  A  slight  drizzle  of  rain  had 
set  in,  and  the  horizon  was  not  many  miles  from  the 
ship.  There  would  not  be  much  chance  of  sighting 
another  liner  while  such  weather  continued. 

Before  Kenyon  had  been  many  minutes  on  deck, 
Edith  Longworth  came  up  the  companion-way.  She 
approached  him  with  a  smile  on  her  face. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "you,  at  least,  do  not  seem  to  be 
suffering  any  anxiety  because  of  our  situation." 

"  Really,"  she  replied,  "  I  was  not  thinking  of  that  at 
all,  but  about  something  else.  Can  you  not  guess  what 
it  is?" 

"  No,"  he  answered  hesitatingly.     "  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  Have  you  forgotten  that  this  is  Sunday  morning  ?  " 

"  Is  it  ?  Of  course  it  is.  So  far  as  I  am  concerned, 
104 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  105 

time  seemed  to  stop  when  the  engines  broke  down. 
But  I  do  not  understand  why  Sunday  morning  means 
anything  in  particular." 

"  Don't  you  ?  Well,  for  a  person  who  has  been 
thinking  for  the  last  two  or  three  days  very  earnestly 
on  one  particular  subject,  I  am  astonished  at  you. 
Sunday  morning  and  no  land  in  sight !  Reflect  for  a 
moment." 

Kenyon's  face  brightened. 

"Ah,"  he  cried,  "I  see  what  you  mean  now!  Miss 
Brewster's  cable  message  will  not  appear  in  this  morn- 
ing's New  York  Argus" 

"  Of  course  it  will  not ;  and  don't  you  see,  also,  that 
when  we  do  arrive  you  will  have  an  equal  chance  in  the 
race.  If  we  get  in  before  next  Sunday,  your  telegram 
to  the  London  people  will  go  as  quickly  as  her  cable 
despatch  to  New  York ;  thus  you  will  be  saved  the 
humiliation  of  seeing  the  substance  of  your  report  in 
the  London  papers  before  the  directors  see  the  report 
itself.  It  is  not  much,  to  be  sure,  but,  still,  it  puts  you 
on  equal  terms ;  while  if  we  had  got  into  Queenstown 
last  night  that  would  have  been  impossible." 

Kenyon  laughed. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  for  such  a  result  the  cause  is 
rather  tremendous,  isn't  it  ?  It  is  something  like  burn- 
ing down  the  house  to  roast  the  pig ! " 

Shortly  after  ten  o'clock  the  atmosphere  cleared,  and 
showed  in  the  distance  a  steamer,  westward  bound. 
The  vessel  evidently  belonged  to  one  of  the  great 
ocean  lines.  The  moment  it  was  sighted  there  flut- 
tered up  to  the  masthead  a  number  of  signal-flags,  and 
people  crowded  to  the  side  of  the  ship  to  watch  the 
effect  on  the  outgoing  vessel.  Minute  after  minute 


io6  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

passed,  but  there  was  no  response  from  the  other  liner. 
People  watched  her  with  breathless  anxiety,  as  though 
their  fate  depended  on  her  noticing  their  signals.  Of 
course,  everybody  thought  she  must  see  them,  but  still 
she  steamed  westward.  A  cloud  of  black  smoke  came 
out  of  her  funnel,  and  then  a  long  dark  trail,  like  the 
tail  of  a  comet,  floated  out  behind ;  but  no  notice  was 
taken  of  the  fluttering  flags  at  the  masthead.  For 
more  than  an  hour  the  steamer  was  in  sight.  Then 
she  gradually  faded  away  into  the  west,  and  finally 
disappeared. 

This  incident  had  a  depressing  effect  on  the  passen- 
gers of  the  disabled  ship.  Although  every  officer  had 
maintained  there  was  no  danger,  yet  the  floating  away 
of  that  steamer  seemed  somehow  to  leave  them  alone; 
and  people,  after  gazing  toward  the  west,  until  not  a 
vestige  of  her  remained  in  the  horizon,  went  back  to 
their  deck-chairs,  feeling  more  despondent  than  ever. 

Fleming,  however,  maintained  that  if  people  had  to 
drown,  it  was  just  as  well  to  drown  jolly  as  mournful, 
and  so  he  invited  everybody  to  take  a  drink  at  his  ex- 
pense— a  generous  offer,  taken  instant  advantage  of 
by  all  the  smoking-room  frequenters. 

"  My  idea  is  this,"  said  Fleming,  as  he  sipped  the 
cocktail  which  was  brought  to  him,  "  if  anything  hap- 
pens, let  it  happen  ;  if  nothing  happens,  why,  then  let 
nothing  happen.  There  is  no  use  worrying  about  any- 
thing, especially  something  we  cannot  help.  Here  we 
are  on  the  ocean  in  a  disabled  vessel — very  good  ;  we 
cannot  do  anything  about  it,  and  so  long  as  the  bar 
remains  open,  gentlemen,  here's  to  you  !  " 

And  with  this  cheerful  philosophy  the  New  York 
v  >litician  swallowed  the  liquor  he  had  paid  for. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  107 

Still  the  swish  of  water  from  the  pumps  could  be 
heard,  but  the  metallic  clanking  of  steel  on  steel  no 
longer  came  up  from  the  engine-room.  This  in  itself 
was  ominous  to  those  who  knew.  It  showed  that  the 
engineer  had  given  up  all  hope  of  repairing  the  damage, 
whatever  it  was,  and  the  real  cause  of  the  disaster  was 
as  much  a  mystery  as  ever.  Shortly  before  lunch  it 
became  evident  to  people  on  board  the  ship  that  some- 
thing was  about  to  be  done.  The  sailors  undid  the 
fastenings  of  one  of  the  large  boats,  and  swung  it  out 
on  the  davits  until  it  hung  over  the  sea. 

Gradually  rumor  took  form,  and  it  became  known 
that  one  of  the  officers  and  certain  of  the  crew  were 
about  to  make  an  attempt  to  reach  the  coast  of 
Ireland  and  telegraph  to  Queenstown  for  tugs  to  bring 
the  steamer  in.  The  Captain  still  asserted  that  there 
was  no  danger  whatever,  and  it  was  only  to  prevent 
delay  that  this  expedient  was  about  to  be  tried. 

"  Do  you  know  what  they  are  going  to  do  ?  "  cried 
Edith  Longworth,  in  a  state  of  great  excitement,  to 
John  Kenyon. 

Kenyon  had  been  walking  the  deck  with  Wentworth, 
who  now  had  gone  below. 

"  I  have  heard,"  said  Kenyon,  "  that  they  intend 
trying  to  reach  the  coast." 

"  Exactly.  Now,  why  should  you  not  send  a  telegram 
to  your  people  in  London,  and  have  the  reports  for- 
warded at  once?  The  chances  are  that  Miss  Brewster 
will  never  think  of  sending  her  cablegram  with  the 
officer  who  is  going  to  make  the  trip  ;  then  you  will  be 
a  clear  day  or  two  ahead  of  her,  and  everything  will  be 
all  right.  In  fact,  when  she  understands  what  has  been 
done,  she  probably  will  not  send  her  own  message  at  all." 


108  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  By  George  !  "  cried  Kenyon,  "  that  is  a  good  idea. 
I  will  see  the  mate  at  once,  and  find  out  whether  he  will 
take  a  telegram." 

He  went  accordingly,  and  spoke  to  the  mate  about 
sending  a  message  with  him.  The  officer  said  that  any 
passenger  who  wished  to  send  a  telegraphic  message 
would  be  at  liberty  to  do  so.  He  would  take  charge  of 
the  telegrams  very  gladly.  Kenyon  went  down  to  his 
state-room  and  told  Wentworth  what  was  going  to  be 
done.  For  the  first  time  in  several  days,  George  Went- 
worth exhibited  something  like  energy.  He  went  to 
the  steward  and  bought  the  stamps  to  put  on  the  tele- 
gram, while  John  Kenyon  wrote  it. 

The  message  was  given  to  the  officer,  who  put  it  into 
his  inside  pocket,  and  then  Kenyon  thought  all  was 
safe.  But  Edith  Longworth  was  not  so  sure  of  that. 
Jennie  Brevvster  sat  in  her  deck-chair  calmly  reading 
her  usual  paper-covered  novel.  She  apparently  knew 
nothing  of  what  was  going  on,  and  Edith  Longworth, 
nervous  with  suppressed  excitement,  sat  near  her, 
watching  her  narrowly,  while  preparations  for  launch- 
ing the  boat  were  being  completed.  Suddenly,  to 
Edith's  horror,  the  deck-steward  appeared,  and  in  aloud 
voice  cried  : 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  anyone  wishing  to  send  tele- 
grams to  friends  has  a  few  minutes  now  to  write  them. 
The  mate  will  take  them  ashore  with  him,  and  will  send 
them  from  the  first  office  that  he  reaches.  No  letters 
can  be  taken,  only  telegrams." 

Miss  Brewster  looked  up  languidly  from  her  book 
during  the  first  part  of  this  recital.  Then  she  sprang 
suddenly  to  her  feet,  and  threw  the  book  on  the 
deck. 


•'•  -  *    , 

• 


,-    •<: 


wp'  ,".»;>/-         j»r  ;i    * 
>', :/'...<  •£>    j 


/•^hk^/r"^- 
'll^^-  - 


- 


SIIK   ril'KANG    SUDDENLY    TO    HKK    l-'UKT,    AND    THREW    TIIH   15OOK    ON    THE 
DECK." — Page  JOS. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  109 

"  Who  is  it  will  take  the  telegrams?"  she  asked  the 
steward. 

"  The  mate,  miss.  There  he  is  standing  yonder, 
miss." 

She  made  her  way  quickly  to  that  official. 

"  Will  you  take  a  cable  despatch  to  be  sent  to  New 
York?"  ' 

"Yes,  miss.     Is  it  a  very  long  one?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  very  long  one." 

"  Well,  miss,"  was  the  answer,  "  you  haven't  much 
time  to  write  it.  We  leave  now  in  a  very  few 
minutes." 

"  It  is  all  written  out ;  I  have  only  to  add  a  few 
words  to  it." 

Miss  Brewster  at  once  flew  to  her  state-room.  The 
telegram  about  the  mine  was  soon  before  her  with  the 
words  counted,  and  the  silver  and  gold  that  were  to  pay 
for  it,  piled  on  the  table.  She  resolved  to  run  no  risk 
of  delay  by  having  the  message  sent  "  to  collect."  Then 
she  dashed  off,  as  quickly  as  she  could,  a  brief  and  very 
graphic  account  of  the  disaster  which  had  overtaken 
the  Caloric.  If  this  account  was  slightly  exaggerated, 
Miss  Brewster  had  no  time  to  tone  it  down.  Picturesque 
and  dramatic  description  was  what  she  aimed  at.  Her 
pen  flew  over  the  paper  with  great  rapidity,  and  she 
looked  up  every  now  and  then,  through  her  state-room 
window,  to  see  dangling  from  the  ropes  the  boat  that 
was  to  make  the  attempt  to  reach  the  Irish  coast. 
As  she  could  thus  see  how  the  preparations  for  the 
departure  were  going  forward,  she  lingered  longer  than 
she  might  otherwise  have  done,  and  added  line  after 
line  to  the  despatch  which  told  of  the  disaster.  At 
last  she  saw  the  men  take  their  places  in  the  longboat. 


I io  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

She  hurriedly  counted  the  words  in  the  new  despatch 
she  had  written,  and  quickly  from  her  purse  piled  the 
gold  that  was  necessary  to  pay  for  their  transmission. 
Then  she  sealed  the  twojiespatches  in  an  envelope, 
put  the  two  piles  of  gold  into  one,  after  rapidly  count- 
ing them  again,  cast  a  quick  look  up  at  the  still 
motionless  boat,  grasped  the  gold  in  one  hand,  the 
envelope  in  the  other,  and  sprang  to  her  feet ;  but,  as  she 
did  so,  she  gave  a  shriek  and  took  a  step  backwards. 

Standing  with  her  back  to  the  door  was  Edith  Long- 
worth.  When  she  had  entered  the  state-room,  Miss 
Brewster  did  not  know,  but  her  heart  beat  wildly  as 
she  saw  the  girl  standing  silently  there,  as  if  she  had 
risen  up  through  the  floor. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here?  "  she  demanded. 

"  I  am  here,"  said  Miss  Longworth,  "  because  I  wish 
to  talk  with  you." 

"Stand  aside;  I  have  no  time  to  talk  to  you  just 
now.  I  told  you  I  didn't  want  to  see  you  again.  Stand 
aside,  I  tell  you." 

"  I  shall  not  stand  aside." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean  that  I  shall  not  stand  aside." 

"Then  I  will  ring  the  bell  and  have  you  thrust  out 
of  here  for  your  impudence." 

''You  shall  not  ring  the  bell,"  said  Edith  calmly, 
putting  her  hand  over  the  white  china  plaque  that  held 
in  its  centre  the  black  electric  button. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  intend  to  keep 
me  from  leaving  my  own  state-room  ?  " 

"  I  mean  to  tell  you  exactly  that." 

"  Do  you  know  that  you  can  be  imprisoned  for 
attempting  such  a  thing?" 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  in 

"  I  don't  care." 

"  Stand  aside,  you  vixen,  or  I  will  strike  you  ! " 

"Do  it." 

For  a  moment  the  two  girls. stood  there,  the  one 
flushed  and  excited,  the  other  apparently  calm,  with 
her  back  against  the  door  and  her  hand  over  the 
electric  button.  A  glance  through  the  window  showed 
Miss  Brewster  that  the  mate  had  got  into  the  boat,  and 
that  they  were  steadily  lowering  away. 

"  Let  me  pass,  you — you  wretch  !  " 

"  All  in  good  time,"  replied  Edith  Longworth,  whose 
gaze  was  also  upon  the  boat  swinging  in  mid-air. 

Jennie  Brewster  saw  at  once  that,  if  it  came  to  a 
hand-to-hand  encounter,  she  would  have  no  chance 
whatever  against  the  English  girl,  who  was  in  every 
way  her  physical  superior.  She  had  her  envelope  in 
one  hand  and  the  gold  in  the  other.  She  thrust  both 
of  them  into  her  pocket,  which,  after  some  fumbling, 
she  found.  Then  she  raised  her  voice  in  one  of  the 
shrillest  screams  which  Edith  Longworth  had  ever 
heard.  As  if  in  answer  to  that  ear-piercing  sound, 
there  rose  from  the  steamer  a  loud  and  ringing  cheer. 
Both  glanced  up  to  see  where  the  boat  was,  but  it  was 
not  in  sight.  Several  ropes  were  dangling  down  past 
the  porthole.  Miss  Brewster  sprang  up  on  the  sofa, 
and  with  her  small  hands  turned  round  the  screw  which 
held  the  round  window  closed. 

Edith  Longworth  looked  at  her  without  making  any 
attempt  to  prevent  the  unfastening  of  the  window. 

Jennie  Brewster  flung  open  the  heavy  brass  circle 
which  held  the  thick  green  glass,  and  again  she 
screamed  at  the  top  of  her  voice,  crying  "  Help  !  "  and 
"  Murder!  " 


112  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

The  other  did  not  move  from  her  position.  In  the 
silence  that  followed,  the  steady  splash  of  oars  could  be 
heard,  and  again  a  rousing  cheer  rang  out  from  those 
who  were  left  upon  the  motionless  steamer.  Edith 
Longworth  raised  herself  on  tiptoe  and  looked  out  of 
the  open  window.  On  the  crest  of  a  wave,  five  hun- 
dred yards  away  from  the  vessel,  she  saw  the  boat  for 
a  moment  appear,  showing  the  white  glitter  of  her  six 
dripping  oars ;  then  it  vanished  down  the  other  side 
of  the  wave  into  the  trough  of  the  sea. 

"  Now,  Miss  Brewster,"  she  said,  "  you  are  at  liberty 
to  go." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

AFTER  Edith  Longworth  left  her,  Jennie  Brewster 
indulged  in  a  brief  spasm  of  hysterics.  Her  common 
sense,  however,  speedily  came  to  her  rescue  ;  and,  as  she 
became  more  calm,  she  began  to  wonder  why  she  had 
not  assaulted  the  girl  who  had  dared  to  imprison  her. 
She  dimly  remembered  that  she  thought  of  a  fierce 
onslaught  at  the  time,  and  she  also  recollected  that  her 
fear  of  the  boat  leaving  during  the  struggle  had  stayed 
her  hand.  But  now  that  the  boat  had  left,  she  bitterjy 
regretted  her  inaction,  and  grieved  unavailingly  over 
the  fact  that  she  had  stopped  to  write  the  account  of 
the  disaster  which  befell  the  Caloric.  Had  she  not 
done  so,  all  might  have  been  well,  but  her  great 
ambition  to  be  counted  the  best  newspaper  woman  in 
New  York,  and  to  show  the  editor  that  she  was  equal 
to  any  emergency  that  might  arise,  had  undone  her. 
While  it  would  have  been  possible  for  her  to  send  away 
one  telegram,  her  desire  to  write  the  second  had 
resulted  in  her  sending  none  at  all.  Although  she 
impugned  her  own  conduct  in  language  that  one  would 
not  have  expected  to  have  heard  from  the  lips  of  a 
millionaire's  daughter,  her  anger  against  Edith  Long- 
worth  became  more  intense,  and  a  fierce  desire  for 
revenge  took  possession  of  the  fair  correspondent.  She 


114  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

resolved  that  she  would  go  up  on  deck  and  shame  this 
woman  before  everybody.  She  would  attract  public 
attention  to  the  affair  by  tearing  Edith  Longworth 
from  her  deck-chair,  and  in  her  present  state  of  mind 
she  had  no  doubt  of  her  strength  to  do  it.  With  the 
yearning  for  vengeance  fierce  and  strong  upon  her,  the 
newspaper  woman  put  on  her  hat,  and  departed  for 
the  deck.  She  passed  up  one  side  and  down  the  other, 
but  her  intended  victim  was  not  visible.  The  rage  of 
Miss  Brewster  increased  when  she  did  not  find  her  prey 
where  she  expected.  She  had  a  fear  that,  when  she 
calmed  down,  a  different  disposition  would  assert  itself, 
and  her  revenge  would  be  lost.  In  going  to  and  fro 
along  the  deck  she  met  Kenyon  and  Fleming  walking 
together.  Fleming  had  just  that  moment  come  up  to 
Kenyon,  who  was  quietly  pacing  the  deck  alone,  and, 
slapping  him  on  the  shoulder,  asked  him  to  have  a 
dfink. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  he  said,  "  tjjat  I  never  have  had  the 
pleasure  of  offering  you  a  drink  since  we  came  on 
board  this  ship.  I  want  to  drink  with  everybody  here, 
and  especially  now,  when  something  has  happened  to 
make  it  worth  while." 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,"  said  John  Kenyon 
coldly,  "  but  I  never  drink  with  anybody." 

"What,  never  touch  it  at  all?     Not  even  beer?" 

"  Not  even  beer." 

"  Well,  I  am  astonished  to  hear  that.  I  thought 
every  Englishman  drank  beer." 

"There  is  at  least  one  Englishman  who  does  not." 

"  All  right,  then ;  no  harm  done,  and  no  offence 
given,  I  hope.  I  may  say,  however,  that  you  miss  a 
lot  of  fun  in  this  world." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  115 

"  I  suppose  I  miss  a  few  headaches  also." 
"  Oh,  not  necessarily.  I  have  one  great  recipe  for 
not  having  a  headache.  You  see,  this  is  the  philosophy 
of  headaches."  And  then,  much  to  John's  chagrin,  he 
linked  arms  with  him  and  changed  his  step  to  suit 
Kenyon's,  talking  all  the  time  as  if  they  were  the  most 
intimate  friends  in  the  world.  "  I  have  a  sure  plan  for 
avoiding  a  headache.  You  see,  when  you  look  into 
the  matter,  it  is  this  way :  The  headache  only  comes 
when  you  are  sober.  Very  well,  then.  It  is  as  simple 
as  A  B  C.  Never  get  sober;  that's  my  plan.  I  simply 
keep  on,  and  never  get  sober,  so  I  have  no  headaches. 
If  people  who  drink  would  avoid  the  disagreeable 
necessity  of  ever  getting  sober,  they  would  be  all 
right.  Don't  you  see  what  I  mean  ?  " 

"And  how  about  their  brains  in  the  meantime?" 
"  Oh,  their  brains  are  all  right.  Good  liquor  sharpens 
a  man's  brains  wonderfully.  Now,  you  try  it  some 
time.  Let  me  have  them  mix  a  cocktail  for  you  ?  I 
tell  you,  John,  a  cocktail  is  one  of  the  finest  drinks 
that  ever  was  made,  and  this  man  at  the  bar — when  I 
came  on  board,  he  thought  he  could  make  a  cocktail, 
but  he  didn't  know  even  the  rudiments — I  have  taught 
him  how  to  do  it ;  and  I  tell  you  that  secret  will  be 
worth  a  fortune  to  him,  because  if  there  is  anything 
Americans 'like,  it  is  to  have  their  cocktails  mixed 
correctly.  There's  no  one  man  in  all  England  can  do 
it,  and  very  few  men  on  the  Atlantic  service.  But  I'm 
gradually  educating  them.  Been  across  six  times.  They 
pretend  to  give  you  American  drinks  over  in  England, 
but  you  must  know  how  disappointing  they  are." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  see  how  I  should  know,  for  I  never 
taste  any  of  them." 


:i6  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Ah,  true ;  I  had  forgotten  that.  Well,  I  took  this 
bar-keeper  here  in  hand,  and  he  knows  now  how  to 
make  a  reasonably  good  cocktail ;  and,  as  I  say,  that 
secret  will  be  worth  money  to  him  from  American 
passengers." 

John  Kenyon  was  revolving  in  his  mind  the  problem 
of  how  to  get  rid  of  this  loquacious  and  generous  indi- 
vidual when  he  saw,  bearing  down  upon  them,  the 
natty  figure  of  Miss  Jennie  Brewster  ;  and  he  wondered 
why  such  a  look  of  bitter  indignation  was  flashing 
from  her  eyes.  He  thought  that  she  intended  to  ad- 
dress the  American  politician,  but  he  was  mistaken. 
She  came  directly  at  him,  and  said  in  an  excited  tone 
with  a  ring  of  anger  in  it : 

"Well,  John  Kenyon,  what  do  you  think  of  your 
work  ?  " 

"  What  work  ?  "  asked  the  bewildered  man. 

"  You  know  very  well  what  work  I  mean.  A  fine 
specimen  of  a  man  you  are  !  Without  the  courage 
yourself  to  prevent  my  sending  that  telegram,  you  in- 
duced your  dupe  to  come  down  to  my  state-room  and 
brazenly  keep  me  from  sending  it." 

The  blank  look  of  utter  astonishment  upon  the  face 
of  honest  John  Kenyon  would  have  convinced  any 
woman  in  her  senses  that  he  knew  nothing  at  all  of 
what  she  was  speaking.  A  dim  impression  of  this,  in- 
deed, flashed  across  the  young  woman's  heated  brain. 
But  before  she  could  speak,  Fleming  said  : 

"Tut,  tut,  my  dear  girl!  you  are  talking  too  loud 
altogether.  Do  you  want  to  attract  the  attention  of 
everybody  on  the  deck?  You  mustn't  make  a  scandal 
in  this  way  on  board  ship." 

"  Scandal !  "  she  cried.     "  We  will  soon  see  whether 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  117 

there  will  be  a  scandal  or  not.  Attract  the  attention 
of  those  on  deck  !  That  is  exactly  what  I  am  going 
to  do,  until  I  show-  up  the  villainy  of  this  man  you  are 
talking  to.  He  was  the  concocter  of  it,  and  he  knows 
it.  She  never  had  brains  enough  to  think  of  it.  He 
was  too  much  of  a  coward  to  carry  it  through  himself, 
and  so  he  set  her  to  do  his  dastardly  piece  of  work." 

"  Well,  well,"  said  Fleming,  "  even  if  he  has  done  all 
that,  whatever  it  is,  it  will  do  no  good  to  attract  atten- 
tion to  it  here  on  deck.  See  how  everybody  is  listen- 
ing to  what  you  are  saying.  My  dear  girl,  you  are  too 
angry  to  talk  just  now  ;  the  best  thing  you  can  do  is  to 
go  down  to  your  state-room." 

"  Who  asked  you  to  interfere  ?  "  she  cried,  turning 
furiously  upon  him.  "  I'll  thank  you  to  mind  your  own 
business,  and  let  me  attend  to  mine.  I  should  have 
thought  that  you  would  have  found  out  before  this 
that  I  am  capable  of  attending  to  my  own  affairs." 

"  Certainly,  certainly,  my  dear  girl,"  answered  the 
politician  soothingly ;  "  I'm  sorry  I  can't  get  you  all  to 
come  and  have  a  drink  with  me,  and  talk  this  matter 
over  quietly.  That's  the  correct  way  to  do  things,  not 
to  stand  here  scolding  on  the  deck,  with  everybody 
listening.  Now,  if  you  will  quietly  discuss  the  matter 
with  John  here,  I'm  sure  everything  will  be  all  right." 

"  You  don't  know  what  you  are  talking  about,"  re- 
plied the  young  lady.  "  Do  you  know  that  I  had  an 
important  despatch  to  send  to  the  Argus,  and  that 
this  man's  friend,  doubtless  at  his  instigation,  came 
into  my  room  and  practically  held  me  prisoner  there 
until  the  boat  had  left,  so  that  I  could  not  send  the 
despatch?  Think  of  the  cheek  and  villainy  of  that, 
and  then  speak  to  me  of  talking  wildly  !  " 


n8  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

An  expression  of  amazement  came  into  Kenyon's 
face  which  quite  convinced  the  newspaper  woman, 
more  than  all  his  protestations  would  have  done,  that 
he  knew  nothing  whatever  of  the  escapade. 

"And  who  kept  you  from  coming  out?"  asked 
Fleming. 

"  It  is  none  of  your  business,"  she  replied  tartly. 

"  If  you  will  believe  me,"  said  Kenyon  at  last,  "  I 
had  absolutely  no  knowledge  of  all  this ;  so,  you  see, 
there  is  no  use  speaking  to  me  about  it.  I  won't  pre- 
tend I  am  sorry,  because  I  am  not." 

This  added  fuel  to  the  flames,  and  she  was  about  to 
blaze  out  again,  when  Kenyon,  turning  on  his  heel, 
left  her  and  Fleming  standing  facing  each  other. 
Then  the  young  woman  herself  turned  and  quickly 
departed,  leaving  the  bewildered  politician  entirely 
alone,  so  that  there  was  nothing  for  him  to  do  but  to 
go  into  the  smoking-room,  and  ask  somebody  else  to 
drink  with  him,  which  he  promptly  did. 

Miss  Brewster  made  her  way  to  the  Captain's  room 
and  rapped  at  the  door.  On  being  told  to  enter,  she 
found  that  officer  seated  at  his  table  with  some  charts 
before  him,  and  a  haggard  look  upon  his  face,  which 
might  have  warned  her  that  this  was  not  the  proper 
time  to  air  any  personal  grievances. 

"Well?"  he  said  briefly  as  she  entered. 

"  I  came  to  see  you,  Captain,"  she  began,  "  because 
an  outrageous  thing  has  been  done  on  board  this  ship, 
and  I  desire  reparation.  What  is  more,  I  will  have  it !  " 

"  What  is  the  *  outrageous  thing '  ?  "  asked  the 
Captain. 

"  I  had  some  despatches  to  send  to  New  York,  to  the 
New  York  Argus,  on  whose  staff  I  am." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  119 

"Yes,"  said  the  Captain  with  interest;  "despatches 
relating  to  what  has  happened  to  the  ship  ?  " 

"One  of  them  did,  the  other  did  not." 

"  Well,  I  hope,"  said  the  Captain,  "  you  have  not 
given  an  exaggerated  account  of  the  condition  we  are 
in." 

"  I  have  given  no  account  at  all,  simply  because  I 
was  prevented  from  sending  the  cablegrams." 

"  Ah,  indeed,"  said  the  Captain,  a  look  of  relief  com- 
ing over  his  face,  in  spite  of  his  efforts  to  conceal  it ; 
"and  pray  what  prevented  you  from  sending  your 
cablegrams?  The  mate  would  have  taken  any  mes- 
sages that  were  given  to  him." 

"  I  know  that,"  cried  the  young  woman  ;  "  but  when 
I  was  in  my  room  writing  the  last  of  the  despatches,  a 
person  who  is  on  board  as  a  passenger  here — Miss 
Longworth — came  into  my  room  and  held  me  prisoner 
there  until  the  boat  had  left  the  ship." 

The  Captain  arched  his  eyebrows  in  surprise. 

"  My  dear  madam,"  he  said,  "  you  make  a  very  serious 
charge.  Miss  Longworth  has  crossed  several  times 
with  me,  and  I  am  bound  to  say  that  a  better  behaved 
young  lady  I  never  had  on  board  my  ship." 

"  Extremely  well  behaved  she  is ! "  cried  the  corre- 
spondent angrily ;  "  she  stood  against  my  door  and 
prevented  me  from  going  out.  I  screamed  for  help, 
but  my  screams  were  drowned  in  the  cheers  of  the 
passengers  when  the  boat  left." 

"  Why  did  you  not  ring  your  bell  ?  " 

"  I  couldn't  ring  my  bell  because  she  prevented  me. 
Besides,  if  I  had  reached  the  bell,  it  is  not  likely  any- 
body would  have  answered  it ;  everybody  seemed  to  be 
bawling  after  the  boat  that  was  leaving." 


120  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  You  can  hardly  blame  them  for  that.  A  great  deal 
depends  on  the  safety  of  that  boat.  In  fact,  if  you 
come  to  think  about  it,  you  will  see  that  whatever 
grievance  you  may  have,  it  is,  after  all,  a  very  trivial 
one  compared  with  the  burden  that  weighs  on  me  just 
now,  and  I  should  much  prefer  not  to  have  anything  to 
do  with  disputes  between  the  passengers  until  we  are 
out  of  our  present  predicament." 

"  The  predicament  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with 
it.  I  tell  you  a  fact.  I  tell  you  that  one  of  your 
passengers  came  and  imprisoned  me  in  my  state-room. 
I  come  to  you  for  redress.  Now,  there  must  be  some 
law  on  shipboard  that  takes  the  place  of  ordinary  law 
on  land.  I  make  this  demand  officially  to  you.  If  you 
decline  to  hear  me,  and  refuse  to  redress  my  wrong,  then 
I  have  public  opinion,  to  which  I  can  appeal  through 
my  paper,  and  perhaps  there  will  also  be  a  chance  of 
obtaining  justice  through  the  law  of  the  land  to  which 
I  am  going." 

"My  dear  madam,"  said  the  Captain  calmly,  "you 
must  not  use  threats  to  me.  I  am  not  accustomed  to 
be  addressed  in  the  tone  you  have  taken  upon  yourself 
to  use.  Now  tell  me  what  it  is  you  wish  me  to 
do?" 

"  It  is  for  you  to  say  what  you  will  do.  I  am  a 
passenger  on  board  this  ship,  and  am  supposed  to  be 
under  the  protection  of  its  Captain.  I  therefore  tell 
you  I  have  been  forcibly  detained  in  my  state-room, 
and  I  demand  that  the  person  who  did  this  shall  be 
punished." 

"  You  say  that  Miss  Longworth  is  the  person  who 
did  this?" 

"Yes,  I  do." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  121 

"  Now,  do  you  know  you  make  a  serious  charge 
against  that  young  lady — a  charge  that  I  find  it  very 
difficult  to  believe?  May  I  ask  you  what  reason  she 
had  for  doing  what  you  say  she  has  done  ?  " 

"  That  is  a  long  story.  I  am  quite  prepared  to  show 
that  she  tried  to  bribe  me  not  to  send  a  despatch,  and, 
finding  herself  unsuccessful,  she  forcibly  detained  me 
in  my  room  until  too  late  to  send  the  telegram." 

The  Captain  pondered  over  what  had  been  said  to 
him. 

"  Have  you  any  proof  of  this  charge? " 

"  Proof  !  What  do  you  mean  ?  Do  you  doubt  my 
word  ?  " 

"  I  mean  exactly  what  I  say.  Have  you  anybody  to 
prove  the  exceedingly  serious  charge  you  bring?" 

"  Certainly  not.  I  have  no  proof.  If  there  had  been 
a  witness  there,  the  thing  would  not  have  happened. 
If  I  could  have  summoned  help,  it  would  not  have 
happened.  How  could  I  have  any  proof  of  such  an 
outrage?" 

"  Well,  do  you  not  see  that  it  is  impossible  for  me 
to  take  action  on  your  unsupported  word  ?  Do  you  not 
see  that,  if  you  take  further  steps  in  this  extraordinary 
affair,  Miss  Longworth  will  ask  you  for  proof  of  what 
you  state?  If  she  denies  acting  as  you  say  she  did, 
and  you  fail  to  prove  your  allegation,  it  seems  to  me 
that  you  will  be  in  rather  a  difficult  position.  You 
would  be  liable  to  a  suit  for  slander.  Just  think  the 
matter  over  calmly  for  the  rest  of  the  day  before  you 
take  any  further  action  upon  it,  and  I  would  strongly 
advise  you  not  to  mention  this  to  anyone  on  board. 
Then  to-morrow,  if  you  are  still  in  the  same  frame  of 
mind,  come  to  me." 


122  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

Thus  dismissed,  the  young  woman  left  the  Captain's 
room,  and  met  Fleming  just  outside,  who  said  : 

"  Look  here,  Miss  Brewster,  I  want  to  have  a  word 
with  you.  You  were  very  curt  with  me  just  now." 

"  Mr.  Fleming,  I  do  not  wish  to  speak  to  you." 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right — that's  all  right ;  but  let  me  tell 
you  this:  you're  a  pretty  smart  young  woman,  and  you 
have  done  me  one  or  two  very  evil  turns  in  your  life. 
I  have  found  out  all  about  this  affair,  and  it's  one  of 
the  funniest  things  I  ever  heard  of." 

"  Very  funny,  isn't  it  ?  "  snapped  the  young  woman. 

"  Of  course  it's  very  funny ;  but  when  it  appears  in 
full  in  the  opposition  papers  to  the  Argus,  perhaps  you 
won't  see  the  humor  of  it — though  everybody  else  in 
New  York  will,  that's  one  consolation." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean  to  say,  Jennie  Brewster,  that  unless  you  are 
a  fool,  you  will  drop  this  thing.  Don't,  for  heaven's 
sake,  let  anybody  know  you  were  treated  by  an  English 
girl  in  the  way  you  were.  Take  my  advice :  say  no 
more  about  it." 

"  And  what  business  is  it  of  yours  ?  " 

"  It  isn't  mine  at  all ;  that  is  why  I  am  meddling 
with  it.  Aren't  you  well  enough  acquainted  with  me  to 
know  that  nothing  in  the  world  pleases  me  so  much  as 
to  interfere  in  other  people's  business  ?  I  have  found  out 
all  about  the  girl  who  kept  you  in,  and  a  mighty  plucky 
action  it  was  too.  I  have  seen  that  girl  on  the  deck, 
and  I  like  the  cut  of  her  jib.  I  like  the  way  she  walks. 
Her  independence  suits  me.  She  is  a  girl  who  wouldn't 
give  a  man  any  trouble,  now,  I  tell  you,  if  he  were 
lucky  enough  to  win  her.  And  I  am  not  going  to  see 
that  girl  put  to  any  trouble  by  you,  understand  that !  " 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  123 

"And  how  are  you  going  to  prevent  it,  may  I  ask?  " 

"May  you  ask?  Why,  of  course  you  may.  I  will 
tell  you  how  I  am  going  to  prevent  it.  Simply  by 
restraining  you  from  doing  another  thing  in  the 
matter." 

"  If  you  think  you  can  do  that,  you  are  very  much 
mistaken.  I  am  going  to  have  that  girl  put  in  prison, 
if  there  is  a  law  in  the  land." 

"  Well,  in  the  first  place,  we  are  not  on  land  ;  and,  in 
the  second  place,  you  are  going  to  do  nothing  of  the 
kind,  because,  if  you  do,  I  shall  go  to  the  London 
correspondents  of  the  other  New  York  papers  and  give 
the  whole  blessed  snap  away.  I'll  tell  them  how  the 
smart  and  cute  Miss  Dolly  Dimple,  who  has  bam- 
boozled so  many  persons  in  her  life,  was  once  caught 
in  her  own  trap ;  and  I  shall  inform  them  how  it  took 
place.  And  they'll  be  glad  to  get  it,  you  bet  !  It  will 
make  quite  interesting  reading  in  the  New  York  oppo- 
sition papers  some  fine  Sunday  morning — about^a 
column  and  a  half,  say.  Won't  there  be  some  swearing 
in  the  Argus  when  that  appears?  It  won't  be  your 
losing  the  despatch  you  were  going  to  send,  but  it  will 
be  your  utter  idiocy  in  making  the  thing  public,  and 
letting  the  other  papers  on  to  it.  Why,  the  best  thing 
in  the  world  for  you  to  do,  and  the  only  thing,  is  to 
keep  as  quiet  as  possible  about  it.  I  am  astonished  at 
a  girl  of  your  sense,  Dolly,  making  a  public  fuss  like 
this,  when  you  should  be  the  very  one  trying  to  keep 
it  secret." 

The  newspaper  correspondent  pondered  on  these 
words. 

"  And  if  I  keep  quiet  about  it,  will  you  do  the 
same  ?  " 


124  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Certainly ;  but  you  must  remember  that  if  ever 
you  attempt  any  of  your  tricks  of  interviewing  on  me 
again,  out  comes  this  whole  thing.  Don't  forget  that." 

"  I  won't,"  said  Miss  Jennie  Brewster. 

And  next  morning,  when  the  Captain  was  anxiously 
awaiting  her  arrival  in  his  room,  she  did  not  appear. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

AFTER  all,  it  must  be  admitted  that  George  Went- 
worth  was  a  man  of  somewhat  changeable  character. 
For  the  last  two  or  three  days  he  had  been  moping 
like  one  who  meditated  suicide ;  now  when  everyone 
else  was  anxiously  wondering  what  was  going  to  hap- 
pen to  the  ship  he  suddenly  became  the  brightest 
individual  on  board.  For  a  man  to  be  moody  and  dis- 
traught while  danger  was  impending  was  not  at  all 
surprising;  but  for  a  man,  right  in  the  midst  of 
gloom,  to  blossom  suddenly  out  into  a  general  hilarity 
of  manner,  was  something  extraordinary.  People 
thought  it  must  be  a  case  of  brain  trouble.  They 
watched  the  young  man  with  interest  as  he  walked 
with  a  springy  step  up  and  down  the  deck.  Every 
now  and  again  a  bright  smile  illuminated  his  face,  and 
then  he  seemed  to  be  ashamed  that  people  should 
notice  he  was  feeling  so  happy.  When  he  was  alone 
he  had  a  habit  of  smiting  his  thigh,  and  bursting  out 
into  a  laugh  that  was  long  and  low  rather  than  loud 
and  boisterous.  No  one  was  more  astonished  at  this 
change  than  Fleming,  the  politician.  George  met  him 
on  deck,  and,  to  the  great  surprise  of  that  worthy 
gentleman,  smote  him  on  the  back  and  said  : 

125 


126  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  My  dear  sir,  I  am  afraid  the  other  day,  when  you 
spoke  to  me,  I  answered  a  little  gruffly.  I  beg  to 
apologize.  Come  and  have  a  drink  with  me." 

"  Oh,  don't  mention  it,"  said  Fleming  joyously  ;  "  we 
all  of  us  have  our  little  down-turns  now  and  then. 
Why,  I  have  them  myself,  when  liquor  is  bad  or  scarce  ! 
You  mightn't  believe  it,  but  some  days  I  feel  away 
down  in  the  mouth.  It  is  true  I  have  a  recipe  for 
getting  up  again,  which  I  always  use.  And  that 
reminds  me :  do  you  remember  what  the  Governor 
of  North  Carolina  said  to  the  Governor  of  South 
Carolina?" 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  said  Wentworth ;  "you 
see,  I'm  not  very  well  versed  in  United  States  politics." 

"  Well,  there  wasn't  much  politics  about  his  remark. 
He  merely  said,  'It's  a  long  time  between  drinks;' 
come  in  and  have  something  with  me.  It  seems  to 
me  you  haven't  tasted  anything  in  my  company  since 
the  voyage  began." 

"  I  believe,"  said  Wentworth,  "  that  is  a  true  state- 
ment. Let  us  amend  it  as  soon  as  possible,  only  in 
this  case  let  me  pay  for  the  drinks.  I  invited  you  to 
drink  with  me." 

"  Not  at  all,  not  at  all!  "  cried  Fleming;  "  not  while 
I'm  here.  This  is  my  treat,  and  it  is  funny  to  think- 
that  a  man  should  spend  a  week  with  another  man 
without  knowing  him.  Really,  you  see,  I  haven't 
known  you  till  now." 

And  so  the  two  worthy  gentlemen  disappeared  into 
the  smoking-room  and  rang  the  electric  bell. 

But  it  was  in  his  own  state-room  that  George  Went- 
xvorth's  jocularity  came  out  at  its  best.  He  would 
grasp  John  Kenyon  by  the  shoulder  and  shake  that 


A  WOMAN   INTERVENES.  127 

solemn  man,  over  whose  face  a  grim  smile  generally 
appeared  when  he  noticed  the  exuberant  jollity  of  his 
comrade. 

"  John,"  Wentworth  cried,  "  why  don't  you  laugh  ?  " 

"  Well,  it  seems  to  me,"  replied  his  comrade,  "  that 
you  are  doing  laughing  enough  for  us  both.  It  is 
necessary  to  have  one  member  of  the  firm  solid  and 
substantial.  I'm  trying  to  keep  the  average  about 
right.  When  you  were  in  the  dumps  I  had  to  be 
cheerful  for  two.  Now  that  you  feel  so  lively,  I  take 
a  refuge  in  melancholy,  to  rest  me  after  my  hard 
efforts  at  cheerfulness." 

"  Well,  John,  it  seems  to  me  too  good  to  be  true. 
What  a  plucky  girl  she  was  to  do  such  a  thing!  How 
did  she  know  but  that  the  little  vixen  had  a  revolver 
with  her  and  might  have  shot  her?" 

"  I  suppose  she  didn't  think  about  it  at  all." 

"  Have  you  seen  her  since  that  dramatic  incident  ?  " 

"Seen  whom?     Miss  Brewster?" 

"  No,  no  ;  I  mean  Miss  Longworth." 

"  No,  she  hasn't  appeared  yet.  I  suppose  she  fears 
there  will  be  a  scene,  and  she  is  anxious  to  avoid  it." 

"  Very  likely  that  is  the  case,"  said  Wentworth. 
"  Well,  if  you  do  see  her,  you  can  tell  her  there  is  no 
danger.  Our  genial  friend,  Fleming,  has  had  a  talk 
with  that  newspaper  woman,  so  he  tells  .me,  and  the 
way  he  describes  it  is  exceedingly  picturesque.  He 
has  threatened  her  with  giving  away  the  '  snap,'  as 
he  calls  it,  to  the  other  New  York  papers,  and  it  seems 
that  the  only  thing  on  earth  Miss  Brewster  is  afraid  of 
is  the  opposition  press.  So  she  has  promised  to  say 
nothing  more  whatever  about  the  incident." 

"  Then,  you  have  been  talking  with  Fleming  ?  " 


128  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Certainly  I  have ;  a  jovial  good  fellow  he  is,  too. 
I  have  been  doing  something  more  than  talking  with 
him  ;  I  have  been  drinking  with  him." 

"  And  yet  a  day  or  two  ago,  I  understand,  you 
threatened  to  strike  him." 

"  A  day  or  two  ago,  John  !  It  was  ages  and  ages  ago. 
A  day  or  two  isn't  in  it.  That  was  years  and  centuries 
since,  as  it  appears  to  me.  I  was  an  old  man  then ; 
now  I  have  become  young  again,  and  all  on  account  of 
the  plucky  action  of  that  angel  of  a  girl  of  yours." 

"  Not  of  mine,"  said  Kenyon  seriously ;  "  I  wish  she 
were." 

"  Well,  cheer  up.  Everything  will  come  out  right ; 
you  see,  it  always  does.  Nothing  looked  blacker  than 
this  matter  about  the  telegram  a  few  days  ago,  and 
see  how  beautifully  it  has  turned  out." 

Kenyon  said  nothing.  He  did  not  desire  to  discuss 
the  matter  even  with  his  best  friend.  The  two  went 
up  on  deck  together,  and  took  a  few  turns  along  the 
promenade,  during  which  promenade  the  eyes  of 
Kenyon  were  directed  to  the  occupants  of  the  deck- 
chairs,  but  he  did  not  see  the  person  whom  he  sought. 
Telling  Wentworth  he  was  going  below  for  a  moment, 
he  left  him  to  continue  his  walk  alone,  and  on  reaching 
the  saloon  Kenyon  spoke  to  a  stewardess. 

"Do  you  know  if  Miss  Longworth  is  in  her  state- 
room ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  think  she  is,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Will  you  take  this  note  to  her?  " 

John  sat  down  to  wait  for  an  answer.  The  answer 
did  not  come  by  the  hand  of  the  stewardess.  Edith 
herself  timorously  glanced  into  the  saloon,  and,  seeing 
Kenyon  alone,  ventured  in.  He  sprang  up  to  meet  her. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  129 

"  I  was  afraid,"  he  said,  "  that  you  had  been  ill." 

"  No,  not  quite,  but  almost,"  she  answered.  "  Oh, 
Mr.  Kenyon,  I  have  done  the  most  terrible  thing !  You 
could  not  imagine  that  I  was  so  bold  and  wicked  ;  " 
and  tears  gathered  in  the  eyes  of  the  girl. 

Kenyon  stretched  out  his  hand  to  her,  and  she 
took  it. 

"  I  am  afraid  to  stay  here  with  you,"  she  said,  "  for 
fear " 

"  Oh,  I  know  all  about  it,"  said  Kenyon. 

"  You  cannot  know  about  it ;  you  surely  do  not  know 
what  I  have  done  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  know  exactly  what  you've  done  ;  and  we  all 
very  much  admire  your  pluck." 

"  It  hasn't,  surely,  been  the  talk  of  the  ship?" 

"  No,  it  has  not ;  but  Miss  Brewster  charged  me 
with  being  an  accomplice." 

"  And  you  told  her  you  were  not,  of  course  ?  " 

"  I  couldn't  tell  her  anything,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  I  hadn't  the  faintest  idea  what  she  was  talking 
about ;  but  that's  how  I  came  to  know  what  had  hap- 
pened, and  I  am  here  to  thank  you,  Miss  Longworth, 
for  your  action.  I  really  believe  you  have  saved  the 
sanity  of  my  friend  Wentworth.  He  is  a  different 
man  since  the  incident  we  are  speaking  of  occurred." 

"  And  have  you  seen  Miss  Brewster  since  ?  " 

"  Oh  yes  ;  as  I  was  telling  you,  she  met  me  on 
the  deck.  Dear  me !  how  thoughtless  of  me !  I 
had  forgotten  you  were  standing.  Won't  you  sit 
down  ?  " 

"  No,  no  ;  I  have  been  in  my  room  so  long  that  I  am 
glad  to  stand  anywhere." 

"Then,  won't  you  come  up  on  deck  with  me  ?  " 


130  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Oh,  I'm  afraid,"  she  said.  "  I  am  afraid  of  a  pub- 
lic scene ;  and  I  am  sure,  by  the  last  look  I  caught  in 
that  girl's  eyes,  she  will  stop  at  no  scandal  to  have  her 
revenge.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  am  too  much  of  a 
coward  to  meet  her.  Of  course,  from  her  point  of 
view  I  have  done  her  eternal  wrong.  Perhaps  it  was 
wrong  from  anybody's  point  of  view." 

"  Miss  Longworth,"  said  John  Kenyon  cordially, 
"  you  need  have  no  fear  whatever  of  meeting  her.  She 
will  say  nothing." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?  " 

"  Oh,  it  is  a  long  story.  She  went  to  the  Captain 
with  her  complaint,  and  received  very  little  comfort 
there.  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it  on  deck.  Get  a 
wrap  and  come  with  me." 

As  Kenyon  gave  this  peremptory  order,  he  realized 
that  he  was  taking  a  liberty  he  had  no  right  to  take, 
and  his  face  flushed  as  he  wondered  if  Edith  would 
resent  the  familiarity  of  his  tones;  but  she  merely 
looked  up  at  him  with  a  bright  smile,  and  said : 

"I  will  do,  sir,  as  you  command." 

"  No,  no,"  said  Kenyon  ;  "  it  was  not  a  command, 
although  it  sounded  like  one.  It  was  a  very  humble 
request ;  at  least,  I  intended  it  to  be  such." 

"Well,  I  will  get  my  wrap." 

As  she  left  for  her  state-room,  a  rousing  cheer  was 
heard  from  on  deck.  She  stopped,  and  looked  at 
Kenyon. 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  was  the  answer.  "  Please  get 
your  things  on  and  we  will  go  up  and  see." 

When  they  reached  the  deck  they  saw  everybody  at 
the  forward  part  of  the  ship.  Just  becoming  visible 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  131 

in  the  eastern  horizon  were  three  trails  of  black  smoke, 
apparently  coming  towards  them. 

The  word  was  whispered  from  one  to  the  other: 
"  It  is  the  tug-boats.  It  is  relief." 

Few  people  on  board  the  steamer  knew  that  their 
very  existence  depended  entirely  on  the  good  weather. 
The  incessant  pumping  showed  everybody,  who  gave  a 
thought  to  the  matter,  that  the  leak  had  been  serious ; 
but  as  the  subsidence  of  the  vessel  was  imperceptible 
to  all  save  experts,  no  one  but  the  officers  really  knew 
the  danger  they  were  in.  Glad  as  the  passengers  were 
to  see  those  three  boats  approach,  the  one  who  most 
rejoiced  was  the  one  who  knew  everything  respecting 
the  disaster  and  its  effects — the  Captain. 

Edith  Longworth  and  John  Kenyon  paced  the  deck 
together,  and  did  not  form  two  of  the  crowd  who  could 
not  tear  themselves  away  from  the  front  of  the  ship, 
watching  the  gradually  approaching  tug-boats.  Pur- 
posely, John  Kenyon  brought  the  girl  who  was  with 
him  past  Miss  Jennie  Brewster,  and  although  that 
person  glared  with  a  good  deal  of  anger  at  Edith,  who 
blushed  to  her  temples  with  fear  and  confusion,  yet 
nothing  was  said ;  and  Kenyon  knew  that  afterwards 
his  companion  would  feel  easier  in  her  mind  about 
meeting  the  woman  with  whom  she  had  had  such  a 
stormy  five  minutes.  The  tug-boats  speedily  took  the 
big  steamer  in  tow,  and  slowly  the  four  of  them  made 
progress  towards  Queenstown,  it  having  been  resolved 
to  land  all  the  passengers  there,  and  to  allow  the  dis- 
abled vessel  to  be  towed  to  Liverpool,  if  an  examina- 
tion of  the  hull  showed  such  a  course  to  be  a  safe  one. 
The  passengers  bade  each  other  good-bye  after  they 
left  the  tender,  and  many  that  were  on  board  that  ship 


132  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

never  saw  each  other  again.  One,  at  least,  had  few  re- 
grets and  no  good-byes  to  make.  Jennie  was  sur- 
prised, when  before  landing  the  steward  handed  her  a 
telegram  that  had  been  waiting  for  her  at  Queenstown. 
On  tearing  it  open,  she  found  it  was  from  the  editor 
of  the  Argus  in  New  York.  It  said:  "  Do  not  cable 
reports.  Letter  follows." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

LONDON  again!  Muddy,  drizzly,  foggy  London; 
London,  with  its  well-filled  omnibuses  tearing  along 
the  streets,  more  dangerous  than  the  chariots  of  Rome  ; 
London,  with  its  bustling  thoroughfares ;  with  its  traffic 
blocked  at  the  corners  by  the  raised,  white-gloved  hand 
of  the  policeman ;  London,  with  the  four-wheeled 
growler  piled  high  with  luggage,  and  the  dashing 
hansom  whirling  along,  missing  the  wheels  of  other 
vehicles  by  half  an  inch,  while  its  occupant  sits  serenely 
smoking,  or  motioning  his  directions  to  his  cabman 
with  an  umbrella ;  London,  with  its  constantly  moving 
procession  of  every  sort  of  wheeled  carnage,  from  the 
four-horse  coach  to  the  coster  barrow.  London, 
London,  London,  London !  the  name  seemed  to  ring 
in  John  Kenyon's  ears  as  he  walked  briskly  along  the 
crowded  pavement  towards  the  City.  The  roar  of  its 
busy  streets  was  the  sweetest  music  in  the  world  to 
him,  as  it  is  to  every  man  who  has  once  acquired  the 
taste  for  London.  Drink  of  the  fountain  of  Trevi,  and 
you  will  return  to  Rome.  Drink  of  the  roar  and  the 
bustle  of  London,  and  no  other  metropolis  in  the  world 
can  ever  satisfy  the  city-hunger  in  you  again.  London 
is  London,  and  John  Kenyon  loved  its  very  disad- 
vantages as  he  strode  along  the  streets. 

133 


134  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

He  called  at  the  office  of  George  Wentworth,  took 
that  young  man  with  him,  and  together  they  went  to 
the  place  where  the  adjourned  meeting  of  the  London 
Syndicate  was  to  be  held.  There  were  questions  to  be 
asked  of  the  two  young  men,  and  the  directors  couldn't 
quite  see  why  the  reports  had  been  so  suddenly  pre- 
cipitated upon  them,  before  the  arrival  of  the  experts 
they  had  sent  out.  So  they  had  merely  read  the 
documents  at  the  former  meeting  and  adjourned  until 
such  time  as  the  two  young  men  could  appear  in  per- 
son. Most  of  the  directors  were  there,  but,  though 
Kenyon  looked  anxiously  among  them,  he  did  not  see 
the  face  of  old  Mr.  Longworth.  Questions  were  asked 
Kenyon  about  the  position  of  the  mines,  about  their 
output,  and  such  other  particulars  as  the  directors 
wished  to  know.  Then  Wentworth  underwent  a 
similar  examination.  He  pointed  out  the  discrepancies 
which  he  had  found  in  the  accounts.  He  showed  that 
there  was  an  evident  desire  on  the  part  of  the  owners 
of  the  different  mines  to  make  it  appear  that  the 
properties  paid  better  than  they  actually  did,  and  he 
answered  in  a  clear  and  satisfactory  way  all  the 
questions  asked  him.  The  chairman  thanked  the 
young  men  for  the  evident  care  with  which  they  had 
done  their  work,  and  the  meeting  then  went  into  a 
private  session  to  consider  what  action  should  be  taken 
respecting  the  mines.  When  the  friends  got  out  of 
the  building,  Kenyon  said  : 

"Well,  thank  goodness  that  is  over  and  done  with. 
Now,  George,  what  have  you  to  suggest  with  reference 
to  the  mica-mine?  " 

"  I  think,"  said  Wentworth,  "  we  had  better  adjourn 
to  my  office  and  have  a  talk  over  the  matter  quietly 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  135 

there.  Let  us  go  into  private  session  as  the  directors 
have  done.  I  feel  rich  after  having  got  my  cheque, 
and  the  vote  of  thanks  from  the  chairman  ;  so  I  will 
spend  a  shilling  on  a  hansom  and  get  there  with  speed 
and  comfort.  Actually,  since  I  have  got  back  to 
London,  I  am  spending  all  my  surplus  cash  on  hansoms. 
They  are  certainly  the  best  and  cheapest  vehicles  in 
the  world.  Think  of  what  that  pirate  charged  us  for  a 
ride  from  the  hotel  to  the  steamer  in  New  York." 

"•  I  don't  like  to  think  of  it,"  said  Kenyon  ;  "  it  makes 
me  shudder !  " 

"  Do  you  know,  John,  I  should  not  be  inconsolable 
if  I  never  saw  the  great  city  of  New  York  again. 
London  is  good  enough  for  me." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know.  New  York  is  all  right.  I  con- 
fess there  are  one  or  two  of  her  citizens  that  I  do  not 
care  much  about." 

"  Ah,"  said  Wentworth ;  then,  after  a  few  moments' 
reflection,  he  remarked  suddenly,  apropos  of  nothing: 
"  Do  you  know,  John,  I  was  very  nearly  in  love  with 
that  girl  ?  " 

"  I  thought  you  were  drifting  in  that  direction." 
"Drifting!  It  wasn't  drifting.  It  was  a  mad  plunge 
down  the  rapids,  and  it  is  only  lately  I  have  begun  to 
think  what  a  close  shave  I  had  of  it.  The  horror  of 
those  days,  when  I  thought  that  despatch  was  going  to 
New  York,  completely  obliterated  any  other  feeling  in 
regard  to  her.  If  I  had  found  she  was  a  hopeless  flirt, 
or  something  of  that  kind,  who  was  trifling  with  me,  I 
should  have  been  very  much  shocked,  of  course,  but  I 
should  have  thought  about  my  own  feelings.  Now, 
the  curious  thing  is  that  I  never  began  to  think  about 
them  till  I  got  to  London." 


136  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Very  well,  Wentworth  ;  I  wouldn't  think  about 
them  now,  if  I  were  you." 

"  No,  I  don't  intend  to,  particularly.  The  fact  that 
I  talk  over  them  with  you  shows  that  the  impression 
was  not  very  deep." 

Wentworth  drew  a  long  breath  that  might  have  been 
mistaken  for  a  sigh,  if  he  had  not  just  before  explained 
how  completely  free  he  was  from  the  thraldom  in  which 
Miss  Brewster  at  one  time  held  him. 

"  Still,  she  was  a  very  pretty  girl,  John.  You  can't 
deny  that." 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  deny  it.  I  simply  don't  want  to 
think  about  her  at  all." 

"  No,  and  we  don't  need  to,  thank  goodness.  But 
she  was  very  bright  and  clever.  Of  course  you  didn't 
know  her  as  I  did.  I  never  before  met  anyone  who — 
Well,  that's  all  past  and  done  with.  I  told  her  all 
about  our  mica-mine,  and  she  gave  me  much  sage 
advice." 

Kenyon  smiled,  but  held  his  peace. 

"Oh  yes,  I  know  what  you  are  thinking  of:  I  spoke 
of  other  mines  as  well ;  still,  that  was  my  folly,  and  not 
her  fault  exactly.  She  imagined  she  was  doing  right, 
and  after  all,  you  know,  I  think  we  sometimes  don't 
make  enough  allowance  for  another's  point  of  view." 

Kenyon  laughed  outright. 

"  It  seems  to  me  you  are  actually  defending  her.  My 
remembrance  is  that  you  didn't  make  much  allowance 
for  her  point  of  view,  when  your  own  point  was  that 
coil  of  rope  in  the  front  of  the  ship — those  days  when 
you  wouldn't  speak  even  to  me." 

"  I  admit  it,  John.  No,  I  am  not  defending  her.  I 
have  succeeded  in  putting  her  entirely  out  of  my 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  137 

mind — with  an  effort.  How  about  your  own  case, 
John?" 

"  My  own  case !  what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"You  know  very  well  what  I  mean." 

"  I  suppose  I  do :  forgive  the  little  bit  of  affectation, 
will  you  ?  but  a  man  gets  somewhat  nervous  when  such 
a  question  is  sprung  upon  him.  My  own  case  is  just 
where  we  left  it  at  Queenstown." 

"  Haven't  you  seen  her  since?" 

"  No." 

"  Aren't  you  going  to  ?  " 

"  I  really  do  not  know  what  I  am  going  to  do." 

"John,  that  young  woman  has  a  decided  personal 
interest  in  you." 

"  I  wish  I  were  sure  of  that,  or,  rather,  I  wish  I  were 

sure  of  it  and  in  a  position  to But  what  is  the 

use  of  talking?  I  haven't  a  penny  to  my  name." 

"  No ;  but  if  our  mine  goes  through,  you  soon  will 
have." 

"  Yes,  but  what  will  it  amount  to  ?  I  never  can 
forget  the  lofty  disdain  with  which  a  certain  person 
spoke  of  fifty  thousand  pounds.  It  sends  a  cold  chill 
over  me  whenever  I  think  of  it.  Fifty  thousand  pounds 
to  her  seemed  so  trivial ;  to  me  it  was  something  that 
might  be  obtained  after  the  struggle  of  a  lifetime." 

"  Well,  I  wouldn't  let  that  discourage  me  too  much 
if  I  were  you  ;  besides,  you  see —  Oh  !  here  we 
are.  We'll  talk  about  this  some  other  time." 

Having  paid  the  cabman,  the  two  young  men  went 
upstairs  into  Wentworth's  room,  where  they  closed  the 
door,  and  John  drew  up  a  seat  by  the  side  of  his  friend. 

"  Now,  then,"  said  Wentworth,  "  what  have  you  done 
about  the  mine?  " 


138  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  I  have  done  absolutely  nothing.  I  have  been  wait- 
ing for  this  conference  with  you." 

"  Well,  my  boy,  time  is  the  great  factor  in  anything 
of  this  sort." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  it  is." 

"You  see,  our  option  is  running  along;  every  day 
we  lose  is  so  much  taken  off  our  chances  of  success. 
Have  you  anything  to  propose  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I  thought  of  doing.  You  know 
young  Longworth  spoke  to  me  a  good  deal  about  the 
mine  at  one  time.  His  cousin  introduced  me  to  him, 
and  she  seemed  to  think  he  might  take  some  interest 
in  forming  the  company.  I  was  to  have  a  talk  with 
you,  because  Longworth  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that 
the  amount  should  be  put  at  two  hundred  thousand 
pounds  rather  than  at  fifty  thousand  pounds." 

Wentworth  gave  a  long  whistle. 

"Yes,  it  seems  a  very  large  amount ;  but  he  claims 
that  if  it  would  pay  ten  per  cent,  on  that  sum — if  we 
could  show  that  there  was  a  reasonable  chance  of  its 
paying  so  much — we  could  put  it  at  two  hundred 
thousand." 

"  Well,  that  looks  reasonable.  What  else  did  he 
say  ?  " 

"  He  did  not  say  very  much  more  about  it,  because 
I  told  him  I  should  have  to  consult  you." 

"  And  why  didn't  you  ?  On  board  ship  there  was  one 
of  the  best  opportunities  we  could  have  had  of  having 
a  talk  with  him.  In  fact,  the  whole  matter  might 
perhaps  have  been  arranged  there." 

"Oh,  well,  you  know,  I  couldn't  talk  to  you  about  it, 
because  a  certain  circumstance  arose,  and  you  spent 
your  time  very  much  in  the  forward  part  of  the  steamer. 


SITTING    ON    A   COIL   OK    ROPE,  AND    CURSING    TIIR    UNIVERSE   GENERALLY. 

Page  fjQ. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  139 

sitting  on  a  coil  of  rope,  and  cursing  the  universe  gen- 
erally and  yourself  in  particular." 

"  Ah,  yes,  I  remember,  of  course — yes.  Very  well, 
then,  you  have  not  seen  young  Longworth  since,  have 
you  ?  " 

"  No,  I  have  not." 

"  Wouldn't  the  old  gentleman  go  in  for  it  ?  " 

"  His  daughter  seemed  to  think  he  would  not,  because 
the  amount  was  too  small." 

"  Why  couldn't  he  be  got  to  go  into  it  entirely  by 
himself?  If  we  put  the  price  up  to  one  hundred  thou- 
sand pounds  or  two  hundred  thousand  pounds,  that 
ought  to  be  large  enough  for  him,  if  he  were  playing 
a  lone  hand." 

"  Well,  you  see,  I  don't  suppose  they  thought  of 
going  in  for  it  at  that,  except  as  a  matter  of  specula- 
tion. Of  course,  if  they  intended  to  buy  some  shares, 
it  is  not  likely  they  would  propose  to  raise  the  price 
from  fifty  thousand  pounds  to  two  hundred  thousand 
pounds.  Young  Longworth  spoke  of  dividing  the 
profit.  He  claimed  that  whatever  we  made  on  fifty 
thousand  pounds  would  be  too  small  to  be  divided 
into  three.  I  told  him,  of  course,  that  you  were  my 
partner  in  this,  and  that  is  why  he  proposed  the  price 
should  be  made  two  hundred  thousand." 

"  I  suppose  he  seemed  indifferent  on  the  question 
whether  it  should  pay  a  dividend  on  that  amount  of 
money  or  not?  " 

"  He  didn't  mention  that  particularly — at  least,  he 
did  not  dwell  upon  it.  He  asked  if  it  would  pay  a  div- 
idend on  two  hundred  thousand,  and  I  told  him  I 
thought  it  would  pay  ten  per  cent,  if  rightly  managed  ; 
then  he  said  of  course  that  was  its  price,  and  we  should 


140  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

be  great  fools  to  float  it  at  fifty  thousand  pounds 
when  it  was  really  worth  two  hundred  thousand." 

Wentworth  pondered  for  a  few  minutes  on  this,  tap- 
ping his  pencil  on  the  desk  and  knitting  his  brow. 

"  It  seems  an  awful  jump,  from  fifty  thousand 
pounds  to  two  hundred  thousand  pounds,  doesn't  it, 
John?" 

"Yes,  it  does;  it  has  a  certain  look  of  swindling 
about  it.  But  what  a  glorious  thing  it  would  be  if  it 
could  be  done,  and  if  it  would  pay  the  right  percentage 
when  we  got  the  scheme  working! " 

"  Of  course  I  wouldn't  be  connected,  nor  you  either, 
with  anything  that  was  bogus." 

"Certainly  not.  I  wouldn't  think  for  a  moment  of 
inflating  it  if  I  were  not  positive  the  property  would 
stand  it.  I  have  been  making,  and  have  here  in  my 
pocket,  an  elaborate  array  of  figures  which  will  show 
approximately  what  the  mine  will  yield,  and  I  am 
quite  convinced  that  it  will  pay  at  least  ten  per  cent., 
and  possibly  twelve  or  fifteen." 

"  Well,  nobody  wants  a  better  percentage  on  their 
money.  Have  you  the  figures  with  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  here  they  are." 

"  Very  well,  you  had  better  leave  them  with  me,  and 
I  will  go  over  them  as  critically  as  if  they  were  the 
figures  of  somebody  I  was  deeply  suspicious  of.  I 
hope  they  will  hold  water ;  but  if  they  do  not,  I  will 
point  out  to  you  where  the  discrepancies  are." 

"  But,  you  see,  George,  it  is  more  a  question  of  facts 
than  of  figures.  I  believe  the  whole  mountain  is 
made  of  the  mineral  which  is  so  valuable,  but  I  take 
only  about  an  eighth  of  it  as  being  possible  to  get  out, 
which  seems  to  me  a  very  moderate  estimate." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  141 

"Yes,  but  how  much  demand  is  there  for  it?  That 
is  the  real  question.  The  thing  may  be  valuable 
enough,  but  if  there  is  only  a  limited  demand — that  is 
to  say,  if  we  have  ten  times  the  material  that  the 
world  needs — the  other  nine  parts  are  comparatively 
valueless." 

"  That  is  true." 

"  Do  you  know  how  many  establishments  there  are 
in  the  world  that  use  this  mineral  ?  " 

"  There  are  a  great  many  in  England,  and  also  in 
the  United  States." 

"  And  how  about  the  duty  on  it  in  the  United 
States?" 

"Ah,  that  I  do  not  know." 

"  Well,  we  must  find  that  out.  Just  write  down 
here  what  it  is  used  for ;  then  I  shall  try  to  get  some 
information  about  the  factories  that  require  it,  and  also 
what  quantities  they  need  in  a  year.  We  shall  have  to 
get  all  these  facts  and  figures  to  lay  before  the  people 
who  are  going  to  invest,  because,  as  I  understand  it,  the 
great  point  we  make  is  not  on  the  mica,  but  on  the 
other  mineral." 

"  Exactly." 

"  Very  well,  then,  you  leave  me  what  you  know 
already  about  it,  and  I  will  try  to  supplement  your 
information.  In  fact,  we  shall  have  to  supplement  it, 
before  we  can  go  before  anybody  with  it.  Now,  I 
advise  you  to  see  the  Longworths — both  old  and  young 
Longworth — and  you  may  find  that  talking  with  them 
in  the  City  of  London  is  very  different  from  talking 
with  them  on  the  Caloric.  By  the  way,  I  wonder  why 
Longworth  was  not  at  the  directors'  meeting  to-day." 

"  I  do  not  know.     I  noticed  he  was  absent," 


142  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  He  very  likely  intends  to  have  nothing  more  to 
do  with  the  other  mines,  and  so  there  may  be  a  possi- 
bility of  his  investing  in  ours.  Do  you  know  his  ad- 
dress?" 

"  Yes,  I  have  it  with  me." 

"Then,  if  I  were  you,  I  would  jump  into  a  hansom 
and  go  there  at  once.  Meanwhile,  I  will  try  to  get 
your  figures  into  shipshape  order,  and  supplement 
them  as  far  as  it  is  possible  to  do  so.  This  is  going  to 
be  no  easy  matter,  John.  There  are  a  great  many 
properties  now  being  offered  to  the  public — the  papers 
are  full  of  them — and  each  of  them  appears  to  be  the 
most  money-making  scheme  in  existence ;  so  if  we  are 
going  to  float  this  mine  without  knowing  any  particu- 
lar capitalist,  we  have  our  work  cut  out  for  us." 

"  Then,  you  would  be  willing  to  put  the  price  up  to 
two  hundred  thousand  pounds?" 

"  Yes,  if  you  say  the  mine  will  stand  it.  That  we 
can  tell  better  after  we  have  gone  over  the  figures  to- 
gether. We  ought  to  be  sure  of  our  facts  first." 

"Very  well.  Good-bye;  I  will  go  and  see  Mr. 
Longworth." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

JOHN  KENYON  did  not  take  a  cab.  He  walked  so 
that  he  might  have  time  to  think.  He  wanted  to  ar- 
range in  his  mind  just  what  he  would  say  to  Mr. 
Longworth,  so  he  pondered  over  the  coming  inter- 
view as  he  walked  through  the  busy  streets  of  the 
City. 

He  had  not  yet  settled  things  satisfactorily  to  him- 
self when  he  came  to  the  door  leading  to  Mr.  Long- 
worth's  offices. 

"  After  all,"  he  said  to  himself,  as  he  paused  there, 
"  Mr.  Longworth  has  never  said  anything  to  me  about 
the  mica-mine ;  and,  from  what  his  daughter  thought, 
it  is  not  likely  that  he  will  care  to  interest  himself  in 
it.  It  was  the  young  man  who  spoke  about  it." 

He  felt  that  it  was  really  the  young  man  on  whom 
he  should  call,  but  he  was  rather  afraid  of  meeting 
him.  The  little  he  had  seen  of  William  Longworth  on 
board  the  Caloric  had  not  given  him  a  very  high 
opinion  of  that  gentleman,  and  he  wondered  if  it 
would  not  have  been  better  to  have  told  Wentworth 
that  nothing  was  to  be  expected  from  the  Longworths. 
However,  he  resolved  not  to  shirk  the  interview,  so 
passed  up  the  steps  and  into  the  outer  office.  He 
found  the  establishment  much  larger  than  he  had 


144  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

expected.  At  numerous  desks  there  were  numer- 
ous clerks  writing  away  for  dear  life.  He  approached 
the  inquiry  counter,  and  a  man  came  forward  to  hear 
what  he  had  to  say. 

"Is  Mr.  Longworth  in?" 

"Yes,  sir.  Which  Mr.  Longworth  do  you  want — 
the  young  gentleman  or  Mr.  John  Longworth  ?" 

"  I  wish  to  see  the  senior  member  of  the  firm." 

"Ah!  have  you  an  appointment  with  him?" 

"No,  I  have  not;  but  perhaps  if  you  will  take  this 
card  to  him,  and  if  he  is  not  busy,  he  may  see  me." 

"  He  is  always  very  busy,  sir." 

"  Well,  take  the  card  to  him  ;  and  if  he  doesn't  hap- 
pen to  remember  the  name,  tell  him  I  met  him  on 
board  the  Caloric." 

"  Very  good,  sir."  And  with  that  the  clerk  disap- 
peared, leaving  Kenyon  to  ponder  over  in  his  mind 
the  still  unsettled  question  of  what  he  should  say  to 
Mr.  Longworth  if  he  were  ushered  into  his  presence. 
As  he  stood  there  waiting,  with  the  host  of  men  busily 
and  silently  working  around  him,  amid  the  general  air 
of  important  affairs  pervading  the  place,  he  made  up 
his  mind  that  Mr.  Longworth  would  not  see  him,  and 
so  was  rather  surprised  when  the  clerk  came  back  with- 
out the  card,  and  said,  "  Will  you  please  step  this 
way,  sir?" 

Passing  through  a  pair  of  swinging  doors,  his  con- 
ductor tapped  lightly  at  a  closed  one,  and  then  opened 
it. 

"  Mr.  Kenyon,  sir,"  he  said  respectfully,  and  then 
closed  the  door  behind  him,  leaving  John  Kenyon 
standing  in  a  large  room  somewhat  handsomely  furn- 
ished, with  two  desks  near  the  window.  From  an  inner 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  145 

room  came  the  muffled  click,  click,  click  of  a  type- 
writer. Seated  at  one  of  the  desks  was  young  Long- 
worth,  who  did  not  look  round  as  Kenyon  was  an- 
nounced. The  elder  gentleman,  however,  arose,  and 
cordially  held  out  his  hand. 

"  How  are  you,  Mr.  Kenyon  ?  "  he  said.  "  I  am 
very  pleased  to  meet  you  again.  The  terror  of  our 
situation  on  board  that  ship  does  not  seem  to  have  left 
an  indelible  mark  upon  you.  You  are  looking  well." 

"Yes,"  said  John;  "I  am  very  glad  to  be  back  in 
London  again." 

"  Ah,  I  imagine  we  all  like  to  get  back.  By  the  way. 
it  was  a  much  more  serious  affair  than  we  thought  at 
the  time  on  board  the  Caloric.  " 

"  So  I  see  by  the  papers." 

"  How  is  your  friend  ?  He  seemed  to  take  it  very 
badly." 

"Take  what  badly?"  asked  John  in  astonishment. 

"  Well,  he  appeared  to  me,  at  the  time  of  the  acci- 
dent to  feel  very  despondent  about  our  situation." 

"  Oh  yes,  I  remember  now.  Yes,  he  did  feel  a  little 
depressed  at  the  time ;  but  it  was  not  on  account  of 
the  accident.  It  was  another  matter  altogether,  which, 
happily,  turned  out  all  right." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that.  By  the  way,  have  you  made 
your  report  to  the  directors  yet?" 

"Yes;  we  were  at  a  meeting  of  the  directors  to- 
day." 

"  Ah,  I  could  not  manage  to  be  there.  To  tell  the 
truth,  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  do  nothing  with 
those  Ottawa  mines.  You  do  not  know  what  action 
the  Board  took  in  the  matter,  do  you?" 

"  No,  they  merely  received  our  report ;  in  fact,  they 


146  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

had  had  the  report  before,  but  there  were  some  ques- 
tions they  desired  to  ask  us,  which  we  answered  appar- 
ently to  their  satisfaction." 

"  Who  were  there  ?  Sir  Ropes  McKenna  was  in  the 
chair,  I  suppose?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  he  was  there." 

"  Ah,  so  I  thought.  Well,  my  opinion  of  him  is  that 
he  is  merely  a  guinea-pig — you  know  what  that  is?  I 
have  made  up  my  mind  to  have  nothing  more  to  do 
with  the  venture,  at  any  rate.  And  so  they  were 
pleased  with  your  report,  were  they  ?  " 

"  They  appeared  to  be.  They  passed  us  a  vote  of 
thanks,  and  one  or  two  of  the  gentlemen  spoke  in 
rather  a  complimentary  manner  of  what  we  had  done." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that.  By  the  way,  William,  you 
know  Mr.  Kenyon,  do  you  not?" 

The  young  man  looked  round  with  an  abstracted 
air,  and  gazed  past,  rather  than  at,  John  Kenyon. 

"  Kenyon,  Kenyon,"  he  said  to  himself,  as  if  trying 
to  recollect  a  name  that  he  had  once  heard  some- 
where. "  I  really  don't — 

"Tut,  tut !  "  said  the  old  man,  "  you  remember  Mr. 
Kenyon  on  board  the  Caloric  ?  " 

"  Oh,  ah,  yes ;  certainly — oh,  certainly.  How  do 
you  do,  Mr.  Kenyon?  I  had  forgotten  for  the 
moment.  I  thought  I  had  met  you  in  the  City  some- 
where. Feeling  first-rate  after  your  trip,  I  hope." 
And  young  Mr.  Longworth  fixed  his  one  eyeglass  in 
its  place  and  flashed  its  glitter  on  Kenyon. 

"  I  am  very  well,  thanks." 

"  That's  right.  Let  me  see,  your  business  with  the 
London  Syndicate  is  concluded  now,  is  it  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  done  with." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  147 

"  Ah,  and  what  are  you  doing  ?  Have  you  any- 
thing else  on  hand  ?  " 

"  Well,  that  is  what  I  wish  to  see  you  about." 

"  Really  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  I — you  remember,  perhaps,  we  had  some 
talk  about  a  mica-mine  near  the  Ottawa  River?" 

"  On  my  soul,  I  don't.  You  see,  the  voyage  rather 
— that  was  on  board  ship,  I  suppose?  " 

"Yes,"  said  John,  crossing  over  to  the  young  man's 
desk  and  taking  a  chair  beside  him.  The  old  gentle- 
man now  turned  to  his  own  papers,  and  left  the  two 
young  men  to  talk  together. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  you  don't  remember  a  talk 
we  had  on  deck  once  about  a  mica-mine  ?  " 

Young  Longworth  looked  at  him  with  a  puzzled 
expression,  as  if  he  could  not  quite  make  out  what  he 
was  talking  about. 

"  I  remember,"  he  said,  "  your  telling  me  that  you 
had  been  sent  over  by  the  London  Syndicate  to  see 
after  certain  mines  there  ;  but  I  don't  remember  any- 
thing being  said  in  reference  to  them." 

"  It  was  not  in  reference  to  them  at  all ;  it  was  in 
reference  to  another  mine,  of  which  I  have  secured 
the  option.  You  will,  perhaps,  recollect  that  your 
cousin  introduced  me  to  you.  You  seemed  to  think 
at  the  time  that  the  price  at  which  we  were  going  to 
offer  the  mine  was  too  low." 

"  By  Jove,  yes !  now  I  do  recollect  something 
about  it,  when  you  mention  that.  Let  me  see,  how 
much  was  it?  A  million,  was  it  not?" 

"  No,  no,"  said  Kenyon,  mopping  his  brow.  He  did 
not  at  all  like  the  turn  the  conversation  had  taken. 
"  Not  a  million,  nor  anything  like  that  amount." 


14$  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Ah,  I  am  sorry  for  that.  You  see,  my  uncle  and 
myself  rarely  touch  anything  that  is  not  worth  while  ; 
and  anything  under  a  million  would  be  hardly  worth 
bothering  with,  don't  you  know." 

"  I  don't  think  so ;  it  seems  to  me  that  something 
below  a  million  would  be  worth  spending  a  little  time 
on  ;  at  least,  it  would  be  worth  my  while." 

"  That  may  be  very  true ;  but,  you  see,  my  uncle 
takes  large  interests  only  in  large  businesses." 

"If  you  remember,  Mr.  Longworth,  your  uncle  was 
not  mentioned  in  connection  with  this  at  all.  Your 
cousin  seemed  to  think  you  might  take  some  interest 
in  it  yourself.  You  told  me,  when  I  said  the  price  at 
which  we  wished  to  offer  the  mine  was  fifty  thousand 
pounds,  that  the  sum  was  altogether  too  small  ;  at 
least,  it  left  too  little  margin  to  divide  amongst  three." 

"  Well,  I  think  I  was  perfectly  correct  in  that." 

"  And  you  further  said  that,  if  we  increased  the 
capital  to  two  hundred  thousand  pounds,  you  would 
take  a  share  in  it  with  us." 

"  Did  I  say  that  ?  " 

"Yes.  It  rested  with  my  partner  then.  I  said  I 
would  speak  to  him  about  it,  and,  if  he  were  willing,  I 
should  be.  Circumstances  occurred  which  made  it 
impossible  for  me  to  go  into  details  with  him  on  board 
the  ship ;  but  I  have  spoken  to  him  to-day  at  his  own 
office,  and  he  is  quite  willing  to  offer  the  mine  at  two 
hundred  thousand  pounds,  provided  the  figures  which 
I  have  given  him  show  that  it  will  pay  a  handsome 
dividend  on  that  sum." 

"  Well,  it  seems  to  me  that,  if  the  mine  is  really  worth 
two  hundred  thousand  pounds,  it  is  a  pity  to  offer  it  at 
fifty  thousand  pounds.  Doesn't  it  strike  you  that  way  ?  " 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  149 

"  Yes,  it  does ;  so  I  called  to  see  you  with  reference  to 
it.  I  wanted  to  say  that  Wentworth  will  go  carefully 
over  the  figures  I  have  given  him,  and  see  if  there  is 
any  mistake  about  them.  If  there  is  not,  and  if  we 
find  that  the  mine  will  bear  inflation  to  two  hundred 
thousand  pounds,  we  shall  be  very  glad  of  your  aid  in 
the  matter,  and  will  divide  everything  equally  with 
you.  That  is  to  say,  each  of  us  will  take  a  third." 

"  If  I  remember  rightly,  I  asked  you  a  question  which 
you  did  not  answer.  I  asked  you  how  much  you  paid 
for  the  mine." 

Kenyon  was  astonished  at  this  peculiar  kind  of 
memory,  that  could  forget  a  whole  conversation,  and 
yet  remember  accurately  one  detail  of  it.  However, 
he  replied  : 

"  Of  course,  at  that  time  you  had  not  said  you  would 
join  us.  I  recognize  that,  if  you  are  to  be  a  partner, 
it  is  your  right  to  know  exactly  what  we  pay  for  the 
mine.  I  may  say  that  we  have  not  paid  for  it,  but 
have  merely  got  an  option  on  it  at  a  certain  price,  and 
of  course,  if  we  can  sell  it  for  two  hundred  thousand 
pounds,  we  shall  have  a  large  amount  to  divide.  Now, 
if  you  think  you  will  go  in  with  us,  and  do  your  best 
to  make  this  project  a  success,  I  will  tell  you  what 
our  option  is  on  the  mica-mine." 

"  Well,  you  see,  I  can  hardly  say  that  I  will  join  you. 
It  is  really  a  very  small  matter.  There  ought  not  to 
be  any  difficulty  in  floating  that  mine  on  the  London 
market,  except  that  it  is  hardly  worth  one's  while  to 
take  it  up.  Still,  I  should  have  to  know  exactly  what 
you  are  to  pay  for  the  property  before  I  went  any 
further  in  the  matter." 

"  Very  well,  then,  I  tell  you  in  confidence,  and  only 


ISO  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

because  I  expect  you  to  become  a  partner  with  us,  that 
the  amount  the  mine  is  offered  to  us  for  is  twenty 
thousand  pounds." 

Young  Longworth  arched  his  eyebrows. 

"  It  cannot  be  worth  very  much  if  that  is  all  they 
ask  for  it." 

"  The  price  they  ask  for  it  has  really  nothing  at  all 
to  do  with  the  value  of  the  mine.  They  do  not  know 
the  value  of  it.  They  are  not  working  it,  even  now,  so 
as  to  bring  out  all  there  is  in  it.  They  are  mining  for 
mica,  and,  as  I  told  you,  the  mineral  which  they  are 
throwing  away  is  very  much  more  valuable  than  all  the 
mica  they  can  get  out  of  the  mine.  If  it  were  worked 
rightly,  the  mica  would  pay  all  expenses,  as  well  as  a 
good  dividend  on  fifty  thousand  pounds,  while  the 
other  mineral  would  pay  a  large  dividend  on  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds,  or  even  two 
hundred  thousand  pounds." 

"  I  see.  And  you  feel  positive  that  there  is  enough 
of  this  mineral  to  hold  out  for  some  time  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  am  positive  of  that.  There  is  a  whole 
mountain  of  it." 

"And  do  you  get  the  mountain  as  well  as  the 
mine?" 

"  We  get  three  hundred  acres  of  it,  and  I  think 
there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  buying  the  rest." 

"  Well,  that  would  seem  to  be  a  good  speculation, 
and  I  am  sure  I  hope  you  will  succeed  in  forming  your 
company.  How  much  money  are  you  prepared  to 
spend  in  floating  the  mine?" 

"  I  have  practically  nothing  at  all.  My  asset,  as  it 
were,  is  the  option  I  have  on  the  mine." 

"Then,  how  are  you  going  to  pay  the  preliminary 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  151 

fees,  the  advertising  in  the  newspapers,  the  cost  of 
counsel,  and  all  that.  These  expenses  will  amount  to 
something  very  heavy  in  the  formation  of  a  company. 
Of  course  you  know  that." 

"  Well,  you  see,  I  think  that  perhaps  we  can  get  two 
or  three  men  to  go  into  this  and  form  our  company 
quietly,  without  having  any  of  those  heavy  expenses 
which  are  necessary  in  the  forming  of  some  companies." 

"  My  dear  sir,  when  you  have  been  in  this  business  a 
little  longer,  you  will  be  very  much  wiser.  That  cannot 
be  done — at  least,  I  do  not  believe  it  can  be  done.  I 
do  not  know  of  its  having  been  done,  and  if  you  can 
do  it,  you  are  a  very  much  cleverer  man  than  I  am. 
Companies  are  not  formed  for  nothing  in  the  city  of 
London.  You  seem  to  have  the  vaguest  possible 
notion  about  how  this  sort  of  thing  is  managed.  I  may 
tell  you  frankly  I  do  not  think  I  can  go  in  with  you  ;  I 
have  too  much  else  on  hand." 

Although  Kenyon  expected  this,  he  nevertheless 
felt  a  grim  sense  of  defeat  as  the  young  man  calmly 
said  these  words.  Then  he  blurted  out : 

"  If  you  had  no  idea  6f  going  in  with  us,  why 
have  you  asked  me  certain  questions  about  the 
property  which  I  would  not  have  answered  if  I  had 
not  thought  you  were  going  to  take  an  interest  in 
it?" 

"  My  dear  sir,"  said  the  other  blandly,  "  you  were 
at  perfect  liberty  to  answer  those  questions  or  not, 
as  you  chose.  You  chose  to  answer  them,  and  you 
have  no  one  to  blame  but  yourself  if  you  are  sorry 
you  have  answered  them.  It  really  doesn't  matter  at 
all  to  me,  as  I  shall  forget  all  you  have  said  in  a  day 
or  two  at  furthest." 


152  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Very  well ;  I  have  nothing  more  to  say  except  thai 
what  I  have  told  you  has  been  said  in  confidence." 

"  Oh,  of  course,  I  shall  mention  it  to  nobody." 

"  Then  I  wish  you  good-day." 

Turning  to  the  elder  gentleman,  he  said : 

"  Good-day,  Mr.  Longworth." 

The  old  man  raised  his  eyes  rather  abstractedly 
from  the  paper  he  was  reading,  and  then  cordially 
shook  hands  with  Kenyon. 

"  If  I  can  do  anything,"  he  said,  "  to  help  you  in 
any  matter  you  have  on  hand,  I  shall  be  very  pleased 
to  do  it.  I  hope  to  see  you  succeed.  Good-day,  Mr. 
Kenyon." 

"  Good-day,  Mr.  Longworth." 

And  with  that  the  young  man  found  himself  again 
in  the  outer  office,  and  shortly  afterwards  in  the  busy 
street,  with  a  keen  sense  of  frustration  upon  him.  His 
first  move  in  the  direction  of  forming  a  company  had 
been  a  disastrous  failure ;  and  thinking  of  this,  he 
walked  past  the  Mansion  House  and  down  Cheapside. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

JOHN  KENYON  walked  along  Cheapside  feeling 
very  much  downhearted  over  his  rebuff  with  Long- 
worth.  The  pretended  forgetfulness  of  the  young  man, 
of  course,  he  took  at  its  proper  value.  He,  nevertheless, 
felt  very  sorry  the  interview  had  been  so  futile,  and, 
instead  of  going  back  to  Wentworth  and  telling  him 
his  experience,  he  thought  it  best  to  walk  off  a  little 
of  his  disappointment  first.  He  was  somewhat  startled 
when  a  man  accosted  him ;  and,  glancing  up,  he  saw 
standing  there  a  tall  footman,  arrayed  in  a  drab  coat 
that  came  down  to  his  heels. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  said  the  footman,  "  but 
Miss  Longworth  would  like  to  speak  to  you." 

"  Miss  Longworth  !  "  cried  Kenyon,  in  surprise  ; 
"  where  is  she  ?  " 

"  She  is  here  in  her  carriage,  sir." 

The  carriage  had  drawn  up  beside  the  pavement, 
and  John  Kenyon  looked  round  in  confusion  to  see  that 
Miss  Longworth  was  regarding  him  and  the  footman 
with  an  amused  air.  An  elderly  woman  sat  in  the  car- 
riage opposite  her,  while  a  grave  and  dignified  coach- 
man, attired  somewhat  similarly  to  the  footman,  kept 
his  place  like  a  seated  statue  in  front.  John  Kenyon 
took  off  his  hat  as  he  approached  the  young  woman, 
whom  he  had  not  seen  since  the  last  day  on  the  steamer. 

"  How  are  you,  Mr.  Kenyon  ?  "  said  Edith  Long- 

153 


154  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

worth  brightly,  holding  out  her  hand  to  the  young 
man  by  her  carriage.  "  Will  you  not  step  in  ?  I  want 
to  talk  with  you,  and  I  am  afraid  the  police  will  not 
allow  us  to  block  such  a  crowded  thoroughfare  as 
Cheapside." 

As  she  said  this,  the  nimble  footman  threw  open  the 
door  of  the  carriage,  while  John,  not  knowing  what  to 
say,  stepped  inside  and  took  his  seat. 

"  Holborn,"  said  the  young  woman  to  the  coach- 
man;  then,  turning  to  Kenyon,  she  continued  :  "  Will 
you  not  tell  me  where  you  are  going,  so  that  I  may 
know  where  to  set  you  down  ?  " 

"To  tell  the' truth,"  said  John,  "I  do  not  think  I 
was  going  anywhere.  I  am  afraid  I  have  not  yet  got 
over  the  delight  of  being  back  in  London  again,  so  I 
sometimes  walk  along  the  streets  in  rather  a  purpose- 
less manner." 

"Well,  you  did  not  seem  delighted  when  I  first 
caught  sight  of  you.  I  thought  you  looked  very  de- 
jected, and  that  gave  me  courage  enough  to  ask  you 
to  come  and  talk  with  me.  I  said  to  myself,  '  There 
is  something  wrong  with  the  mica-mine,'  and,  with  a 
woman's  curiosity,  I  wanted  to  know  all  about  it. 
Now  tell  me." 

"  There  is  really  very  little  to  tell.  We  have  hardly 
begun  yet.  Wentworth  is  to-day  looking  over  the 
figures  I  gave  him,  and  I  have  been  making  a  begin- 
ning by  seeing  some  people  who  I  thought  might  be 
interested  in  the  mine." 

"And  were  they?  " 

"No;  they  were  not." 

"  Then,  that  was  the  reason  you  were  looking  so  dis- 
tressed." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  155 

"  I  suppose  it  was." 

"  Well,  now,  Mr.  Kenyon,  if  you  get  discouraged 
after  an  interview  with  the  first  person  you  think  will  be 
interested  in  the  mine,  what  will  you  do  when  a  dozen 
or  more  people  refuse  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  do  not  know.  I  am  afraid  I  am  not  the 
right  person  to  float  a  mine  on  the  London  market. 
I  am  really  a  student,  you  see,  and  flatter  myself  I  am 
a  man  of  science.  I  know  what  I  am  about  when  I 
am  in  a  mine,  miles  away  from  civilization ;  but  when 
I  get  among  men,  I  feel  somehow  at  a  loss.  I  do  not 
understand  them.  When  a  man  tells  me  one  thing 
to-day,  and  to-morrow  calmly  forgets  all  about  it,  I 
confess  it — well,  confuses  me." 

"Then  the  man  you  have  seen  to-day  has  forgotten 
what  he  told  you  yesterday.  Is  that  the  case  ?  " 

"Yes  ;  that  is  partly  the  case." 

"  But,  Mr.  Kenyon,  the  success  of  your  project  is 
not  going  to  depend  upon  what  one  man  says,  or  two, 
or  three,  is  it  ?" 

"No;  I  don't  suppose  it  is." 

"  Then,  if  I  were  you,  I  would  not  feel  discouraged 
because  one  man  has  forgotten.  I  wish  I  were 
acquainted  with  your  one  man,  and  I  would  make  him 
ashamed  of  himself,  I  think." 

Kenyon  flushed  as  she  said  this,  but  made  no  reply. 

The  coachman  looked  round  as  he  came  to  Hoi- 
born,  and  Miss  Longworth  nodded  to  him ;  so  he 
went  on  without  stopping  into  Oxford  Street. 

"  Now,  I  take  a  great  interest  in  your  mine,  Mr. 
Kenyon,  and  hope  to  see  you  succeed  with  it.  I  wish 
I  could  help  you,  or,  rather,  I  wish  you  would  be  frank 
with  me,  and  tell  me  how  I  can  help  you.  I  know  a 


156  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

good  deal  about  City  men  and  their  ways,  and  I  think 
I  may  be  able  to  give  you  some  good  advice — at  least, 
if  you  would  have  the  condescension  to  consult  me." 

Kenyon  smiled. 

"  You  are  making  game  of  me  now,  Miss  Longworth. 
Of  course,  as  you  said  on  board  ship,  it  is  but  a  very 
small  matter." 

"  I  never  said  any  such  thing.  When  did  I  say 
that?" 

"  You  said  that  fifty  thousand  pounds  was  a  small 
matter." 

"  Did  I  ?  Well,  I  am  like  your  man  who  has  forgot- 
ten ;  I  have  forgotten  that.  I  remember  saying  some- 
thing about  its  being  too  small  an  amount  for  my 
father  to  deal  with.  Was  not  that  what  I  said  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  that  was  it.  It  conveyed  the  idea  to 
my  mind  that  you  thought  fifty  thousand  pounds  a 
trifling  sum  indeed." 

Edith  Longworth  laughed. 

"What  a  terrible  memory  you  have!  I  do  not 
wonder  at  your  City  man  forgetting.  Are  you  sure 
what  you  told  him  did  not  happen  longer  ago  than 
yesterday  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  happened  some  time  before." 

"  Ah,  I  thought  so  ;  I  am  afraid  it  is  your  own  ter- 
rible memory,  and  not  his  forgetfulness,  that  is  to 
blame." 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  blaming  him  at  all.  A  man  has 
every  right  to  change  his  mind,  if  he  wants  to  do  so." 

"  I  thought  only  a  woman  had  that  privilege." 

"  No ;  for  my  part  I  freely  accord  it  to  everybody, 
only  sometimes  it  is  a  little  depressing." 

"  I  can   imagine  that ;  in  fact,  I  think  no  one  could 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  157 

be  a  more  undesirable  acquaintance  than  a  man  who 
forgets  to-day  what  he  promised  yesterday,  especially 
if  anything  particular  depends  upon  it.  Now,  why 
cannot  you  come  to  our  house  some  evening  and  have 
a  talk  about  the  mine  with  my  cousin  or  my  father? 
My  father  could  give  you  much  valuable  advice  with 
reference  to  it,  and  I  am  anxious  that  my  cousin 
should  help  to  carry  this  project  on  to  success.  It  is 
better  to  talk  with  them  there  than  at  their  office, 
because  they  are  both  so  busy  during  the  day  that  I 
am  afraid  they  might  not  be  able  to  give  .the  time 
necessary  to  its  discussion." 

John  Kenyon  shook  his  head. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  he  said,  "that  would  do  no  good.  I 
do  not  think  your  cousin  cares  to  have  anything  to  do 
with  the  mine." 

"How  can  you  say  that?  Did  he  not  discuss  the 
matter  with  you  on  board  ship  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  we  had  some  conversation  about  it  there,  but 
I  imagine  that — I  really  do  not  think  he  would  care  to 
go  any  farther  with  it." 

"Ah,  I  see,"  said  Edith  Longworth.  "  My  cousin  is 
the  man  who  'forgot  to-day  what  he  said  yesterday.'" 

"What  am  I  to  say,  Miss  Longworth?  I  do  not 
want  to  say  '  Yes/  and  I  cannot  truthfully  say 
'No.'" 

"  You  need  say  nothing.  I  know  exactly  how  it  has 
been.  So  he  does  not  want  to  have  anything  to  do 
with  it.  What  reason  did  he  give  ?  " 

"You  will  not  say  anything  to  him  about  the 
matter?  I  should  be  very  sorry  if  he  thought  that  I 
talked  to  anyone  else  of  my  conference  with  him." 

"  Oh,  certainly  not ;  I  will  say  nothing  to  him  at  all," 


158  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  He  gave  no  particular  reason  ;  he  simply  seemed 
to  have  changed  his  mind.  But  I  must  say  this :  he 
did  not  appear  to  be  very  enthusiastic  when  I  dis- 
cussed it  with  him  on  board  ship." 

"  Well,  you  see,  Mr.  Kenyon,  it  rests  with  me  now 
to  maintain  the  honor  of  the  Longworth  family.  Do 
you  want  to  make  all  the  profit  there  is  to  be  made  in 
the  mica-mine — that  is,  yourself  and  your  friend  Mr. 
Wentworth  ?  " 

"  How  do  you  mean — '  all  the  profit '  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  mean — would  you  share  the  profit  with 
anyone  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  if  that  person  could  help  us  to  form  the 
company." 

"  Very  well ;  it  was  on  that  basis  you  were  going  to 
take  in  my  cousin  as  a  partner,  was  it  not  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Then  I  should  like  to  share  in  the  profits  of  the 
mine  if  he  does  not  take  an  interest  in  it.  If  you  will 
let  me  pay  the  preliminary  expenses  of  forming  this 
company,  and  if  you  will  then  give  me  a  share  of 
what  you  make,  I  shall  be  glad  to  furnish  the  money 
you  need  at  the  outset." 

John  Kenyon  looked  at  Miss  Longworth  with  a 
smile. 

"  You  are  very  ingenious,  Miss  Longworth,  but  I 
can  see,  in  spite  of  your  way  of  putting  it,  that  what 
you  propose  is  merely  a  form  of  charity.  Suppose  we 
did  not  succeed  in  forming  our  company,  how  could 
we  repay  you  the  money  ?  " 

"  You  would  not  need  to  repay  the  money.  I 
would  take  that  risk.  It  is  a  sort  of  speculation.  If 
you  form  the  company,  then  I  shall  expect  a  very 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  159 

large  reward  for  furnishing  the  funds.  It  is  purely 
selfishness  on  my  part.  I  believe  I  have  a  head  for 
business.  Women  in  this  country  do  not  get  such 
chances  of  developing  their  business  talents  as  they 
seem  to  have  in  America.  In  that  country  there  are 
women  who  have  made  fortunes  for  themselves.  I 
believe  in  your  mine,  and  I  am  convinced  you  will 
succeed  in  forming  your  company.  If  you  or  Mr. 
Wentworth  were  capitalists,  of  course  there  would  be 
no  need  of  my  assistance.  If  I  were  alone,  I  could 
not  form  a  company.  You  and  Mr.  Wentworth  can 
do  what  I  cannot  do.  You  can  appear  before  the 
public  and  attend  to  all  preliminaries.  On  the  other 
hand,  I  believe  I  can  do  what  neither  of  you  can  do  ; 
that  is,  I  can  supply  a  certain  amount  of  money  from 
time  to  time  to  pay  the  expenses  of  forming  the 
company — because  a  company  is  not  formed  in  Lon- 
don for  nothing,  I  assure  you.  Perhaps  you  think  you 
have  simply  to  go  and  see  a  sufficient  number  of 
people  and  get  your  company  formed.  I  fancy  you 
will  find  it  not  so  easy  as  all  that.  Besides  this  bus- 
iness interest  I  have  in  it,  I  have  a  very  friendly 
interest  in  Mr.  Wentworth." 

As  she  said  this,  she  bent  over  towards  John  Ken- 
yon,  and  spoke  in  a  lower  tone  of  voice  : 

"  Please  do  not  tell  him  so,  because  I  think  that  he  is 
a  young  man  who  has  possibilities  of  being  conceited." 

"  I  shall  say  nothing  about  it,"  said  Kenyon  dole- 
fully. 

"  Please  do  not.  By  the  way,  I  wish  you  would 
give  me  Mr.  Wentworth's  address,  so  that  I  may  com- 
municate with  him  if  a  good  idea  occurs  to  me,  or  if  I 
find  out  something  of  value  in  forming  our  company." 


160  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

Kenyon  took  out  a  card,  wrote  the  address  of  Went- 
worth  upon  it,  and  handed  it  to  her. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said.  "  You  see,  I  deeply  sympa- 
thized with  Mr.  Wentworth  for  what  he  had  to  pass 
through  on  the  steamer." 

"  He  is  very  grateful  for  all  you  did  for  him  on 
that  occasion,"  replied  Kenyon. 

"  I  am  glad  of  that.  People,  as  a  general  thing,  are 
not  grateful  for  what  their  friends  do  for  them.  I  am 
glad,  therefore,  that  Mr.  Wentworth  is  an  exception. 
Well,  suppose  you  talk  with  him  about  what  I  have 
said,  before  you  make  up  your  own  mind.  I  shall  be 
quite  content  with  whatever  share  of  the  profits  you 
allow  me." 

"Ah,  that  is  not  business,  Miss  Longworth." 

"  No,  it  is  not ;  but  I  am  dealing  with  you — that  is, 
with  Mr.  Wentworth — and  I  am  sure  both  of  you 
will  do  what  is  right.  Perhaps  it  would  be  better  not 
to  tell  him  who  is  to  furnish  the  money.  Just  say 
you  have  met  a  friend  to-day  who  offers,  for  a  rea- 
sonable share  of  the  profits,  to  supply  all  the  money 
necessary  for  the  preliminary  expenses.  You  will  con- 
sult with  him  about  it,  will  you  not?" 

"Yes,  if  it  is  your  wish." 

"  Certainly  it  is  my  wish  ;  and  I  also  wish  you  to  do 
it  so  diplomatically  that  you  will  conceal  my  name 
from  him  more  successfully  than  you  concealed  my 
cousin's  name  from  me  this  afternoon." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  am  very  awkward,"  said  John, 
blushing. 

"  No ;  you  are  very  honest,  that's  all.  You  are  not 
accomplished  in  the  art  of  telling  what  is  not  true. 
Now,  this  is  where  we  live ;  will  you  come  in  ?  " 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  161 

"Thank  you,  no;  I'm  afraid  not,"  said  John.  "I 
must  really  be  going  now." 

"  Let  the  coachman  take  you  to  your  station." 

"  No,  no,  it  is  not  worth  the  trouble  ;  it  is  only  a  step 
from  here." 

"  It  is  no  trouble.  Which  is  your  station — South 
Kensington  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Very  well.  Drive  to  South  Kensington  Station, 
Parker,"  she  said  to  the  coachman  ;  and  then,  running 
up  the  steps,  she  waved  her  hand  in  good-bye,  as  the 
carriage  turned. 

And  so  John  Kenyon,  feeling  abashed  at  his  own 
poverty,  was  driven  in  this  gorgeous  equipage  to  the 
Underground  Railway  station,  where  he  took  the  train 
for  the  City.  As  he  stepped  from  the  carriage  at  South 
Kensington,  young  Mr.  Longworth  came  out  of  the 
station  on  his  way  home,  and  was  simply  dumbfounded 
to  see  Kenyon  in  the  Longworths'  carriage. 

John  passed  him  without  noticing  who  he  was,  and 
just  as  the  coachman  was  going  to  start  again,  Long- 
worth  said  to  him : 

"  Parker,  have  you  been  picking  up  fares  in  the 
street  ?  " 

"  Oh  no,  sir,"  replied  the  respectable  Parker  ;  "  the 
young  gentleman  as  just  left  us  came  from  the  City 
with  Miss  Longworth." 

"  Did  he,  indeed  ?  Where  did  you  pick  him  up, 
Parker?" 

"We  picked  him  up  in  Cheapside,  sir." 

"  Ah,  indeed  ;  "  and  with  that,  muttering  some  im- 
precations on  the  "  cheek "  of  Kenyon,  he  stepped 
into  the  carriage  and  drove  home. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

GEORGE  WENTWORTH  was  a  very  much  better  man 
than  John  Kenyon  to  undertake  the  commercial  task 
they  hoped  to  accomplish.  Wentworth  had  mixed 
with  men,  and  was  not  afraid  of  them.  Although  he 
had  suffered  keenly  from  the  little  episode  on  the 
steamer,  and  although  at  that  trying  time  he  appeared 
to  but  poor  advantage  so  far  as  an  exhibition  of 
courage  was  concerned,  yet  the  reason  was  largely 
because  the  blow  had  been  dealt  him  by  a  woman,  and 
not  by  a  man.  If  one  of  Wentworth's  fellow-men  so  far 
forgot  himself  as  to  make  an  insulting  or  cutting  remark 
to  him,  Wentworth  merely  shrugged  his  shoulders  and 
thought  no  more  about  it.  On  the  other  hand,  not- 
withstanding his  somewhat  cold  and  calm  exterior, 
John  Kenyon  was  as  sensitive  as  a  child,  and  a  rebuff 
such  as  he  received  from  the  Longworths  was  enough 
to  depress  him  for  a  week.  He  had  been  a  student  all 
his  life,  and  had  not  yet  learned  the  valuable  lesson  of 
knowing  how  to  look  at  men's  actions  with  an  eye  to 
proportion.  Wentworth  said  to  himself  that  nobody's 
opinion  amounted  to  very  much,  but  Kenyon  knew  too 
little  of  his  fellows  to  have  arrived  at  this  comforting 
conclusion. 

George  Wentworth  closed   his   door  when  he  was 
alone,  drew  the  mass  of  papers,  which  Kenyon  had 
162 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  163 

left,  towards  him  on  his  desk,  and  proceeded  systemat- 
ically to  find  a  flaw  in  them  if  possible.  He  said  to 
himself:  "I  must  attack  this  thing  without  enthusi- 
asm, and  treat  Kenyon  as  if  he  were  a  thief.  I  must 
find  an  error  in  the  reasoning  or  something  shaky  about 
the  facts."  He  perused  the  papers  earnestly,  making 
pencil-marks  on  the  margin  here  and  there.  At  first 
he  said  to  himself :  "  It  is  quite  evident  that  the  min- 
ing of  the  mica  will  pay  for  the  working  of  the  mine. 
We  can  look  upon  the  demand  for  mica  as  being  in  a 
certain  sense  settled.  It  has  paid  for  the  working  of 
the  mine  so  far,  also  a  small  dividend,  and  there  is  no 
reason  to  think  it  should  not  go  on  doing  so.  Now, 
the  uncertain  quality  is  this  other  stuff,  and  the  uncer- 
tain thing  about  this  uncertain  quality  is  the  demand 
for  it  in  the  markets  of  the  world,  also  how  much  the 
carriage  of  it  is  going  to  cost."  Wentworth  had  a 
theory  that  all  things  were  possible  if  you  only  knew 
a  man  who  knew  the  man.  There  is  always  the  man  in 
everything — the  man  who  is  the  authority  on  iron  ; 
the  man  who  is  the  authority  on  mines  ;  the  man  who 
is  the  authority  on  the  currency,  and  the  man  who 
knows  all  about  the  printing  trade.  If  you  want  any 
information  on  any  particular  subject,  it  was  not  nec- 
essary to  know  the  man,  but  it  was  very  essential  to 
know  a  man  who  can  put  his  finger  on  the  man.  Get 
a  note  of  introduction  from  a  man  who  knows  the  man, 
and  there  you  are  ! 

Wentworth  touched  his  bell,  and  a  boy  answered 
his  summons. 

"  Ask  Mr.  Close  to  step  in  here  for  a  moment,  will 
you,  please  ?  " 

The  boy  disappeared,  and  shortly  after  an  oldish 


1 64  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

man  with  a  very  deferential  look,  who  was  perpetually 
engaged  in  smoothing  one  hand  over  the  other,  came 
in,  and,  in  a  timid  manner,  closed  the  door  softly  be- 
hind him. 

"  Close,"  said  Wentworth,  "  who  is  it  that  knows 
everything  about  the  china  trade  ?  " 

"About  the  china  trade,  sir?" 

"  Yes,  about  the  china  trade." 

"  Wholesale  or  retail,  sir  ?  " 

"  I  want  to  get  at  somebody  who  knows  all  about  the 
manufacture  of  china." 

"Ah,  the  manufacture,  sir,"  said  Close,  in  a  tone 
that  indicated  this  was  another  matter  altogether; 
"  the  manufacture,  sir ;  yes,  sir,  I  really  do  not  know 
who  could  tell  everything  about  the  manufacture  of 
china,  sir,  but  I  know  of  a  man  who  could  put  you  on 
the  right  track." 

"  Very  well ;  that  is  quite  as  good." 

"  I  would  see  Mr.  Melville,  if  I  were  you,  sir — Mr- 
Melville,  of  the  great  Scranton  China  Company." 

"And  what  is  his  address?  " 

"  His  address  is—  And  here  the  old  man 

stooped  over  and  wrote  it  on  a  card.  "That  will  find 
him,  sir.  If  you  can  drop  a  note  to  Mr.  Melville,  sir, 
and  say  you  want  to  learn  who  knows  all  about  the 
production  of  china,  he  will  be  able  to  tell  you  just  the 
man,  sir.  He  is  in  the  wholesale  china  trade  himself, 
sir." 

"  Would  he  be  in  at  this  hour,  do  you  think?" 

"  Oh  yes,  sir,  he  is  sure  to  be  in  his  office  now." 

"  Very  well,  then  ;  I  think  I  will  just  run  over  and 
see  him." 

"Very  good,  sir;  anything  more,  sir?" 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  165 

"  Nothing  more,  Close,  thank  you." 

When  the  valuable  Close  had  departed  as  softly  and 
apologetically  as  he  had  entered,  Wentworth  picked 
up  one  of  the  specimens  of  spar  which  Kenyon  had 
taken  from  the  mine,  and  put  it  into  his  pocket.  In 
two  minutes  more  he  was  in  a  cab,  dashing  through  the 
crowded  streets  towards  Melville's  office.  By  the  side 
of  the  door  of  the  china  company's  warehouse,  inside 
the  hall,  were  two  parallel  rows  of  names — one  under 
the  general  heading  of  "Out,"  the  other  under  the 
heading  of  "  In."  It  appeared  that  Mr.  Smith  was 
out  and  Mr.  Jones  was  in,  but,  what  was  more  to  the 
purpose,  the  name  of  Richard  Melville  happened  to  be 
in  the  column  of  those  who  were  inside.  After  a  few 
moments'  delay,  Wentworth  was  ushered  into  the 
office  of  this  gentleman. 

"  Mr.  Melville,"  he  said,  "  I  have  been  recommended 
to  come  to  you  for  information  regarding  the  china 
trade.  The  information  I  want,  you  will,  perhaps,  not 
be  able  to  give  me,  but  I  believe  you  can  tell  me  to 
whom  I  should  apply  for  it."  Saying  this,  he  took 
out  of  his  pocket  the  specimen  of  mineral  which  he 
had  brought  with  him.  "  What  I  want  to  know  is, 
how  much  of  this  material  you  use  each  year  in  the 
manufacture  of  china  ?  what  price  you  pay  for  it  ?  and 
I  should  like  to  get  an  estimate,  if  possible,  of  the 
quantity  used  in  England  every  year." 

Melville  picked  up  the  specimen  and  turned  it 
round  and  round,  looking  at  it  attentively. 

"  Well,"  he  said  at  last,  "  I  could  tell  you  anything 
you  wished  about  the  wholesale  china  trade,  but  about 
the  manufacture  of  it  I  am  not  so  well  informed. 
Where  did  you  get  this  ?  " 


1 66  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  That,"  said  Wentworth,  "  is  from  a  mine  in  which 
I  am  interested." 

"  Ah,  where  is  the  mine  situated,  may  I  ask  ?  " 

"  It  is  in  America,"  said  Wentworth  vaguely. 

"  I  see.  Have  you  considered  the  question  of  car- 
riage in  proposing  to  put  it  on  the  English  market  ? 
That,  as  you  know,  is  an  important  question.  The 
cost  of  taking  a  heavy  article  a  long  distance  is  a  great 
factor  in  the  question  of  its  commercial  value." 

"  I  recognize  that,"  said  Wentworth  ;  "  and  it  is  to 

o 

enable  me  to  form  some  estimate  of  the  value  of  this 
material  that  I  ask  for  particulars  of  its  price  here." 

"  I  understand,  but  I  am  not  able  to  answer  your 
questions.  If  you  have  time  to  wait  and  see  Mr. 
Brand,  our  manager  of  the  works,  who  is  also  one  of 
the  owners,  he  could  easily  tell  you  everything  about 
this  mineral — whether  used  at  all  or  not.  H«  comes 
up  to  London  once  every  fortnight,  and  to-day  is  his 
day.  I  am  expecting  him  here  at  any  time.  You 
might  wait,  if  you  liked,  and  see  him." 

"  I  do  not  think  that  will  be  necessary.  I  will  write, 
if  you  will  allow  me,  just  what  I  want  to  know,  and 
in  two  or  three  minutes  he  could  jot  down  the  informa- 
tion I  require.  Then  I  will  call  again  to-morrow,  if 
you  don't  mind." 

"  Not  in  the  least.  I  will  submit  the  matter  to  him. 
You  can  leave  me  this  piece  of  mineral,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"Certainly;  "  and  Wentworth  wrote  on  a  sheet  of 
paper  the  questions  :  "  First,  What  quantity  of  this 
mineral  is  used  in  your  works  in  a  year?  second,  What 
price  per  ton  do  you  pay  for  it  ?  third,  Will  you  give 
me,  if  possible,  an  estimate  of  how  much  of  this  is 
used  in  England." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  167 

"  There,"  he  said,  "  if  you  will  give  him  this  slip  of 
paper,  and  show  him  the  specimen  of  mineral,  I  shall 
be  very  much  obliged." 

"  By  the  way,"  said  Melville,  "  is  this  mine  in  opera- 
tion ?" 

"  Yes,  it  is." 

"  Is  there  anyone  else  besides  yourself  interested  in 
it  in  this  country  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Wentworth,  with  some  hesitation  ;  "  John 
Kenyon,  a  mining  expert,  is  interested  in  it,  and  Mr. 
Longworth — young  Mr.  Longworth  of  the  City." 

"Any  relation  to  John  Longworth?" 

"  His  nephew." 

"  Ah,  well,  anything  that  Longworth  has  an  interest 
in  is  reasonably  sure  of  being  successful." 

"  I  am  perhaps  going  too  far  in  saying  he  has  an 
interest  in  the  mine,  but  in  coming  from  America  he 
seemed  desirous  of  going  in  with  us.  My  partner, 
John  Kenyon,  of  whom  I  spoke  just  now,  is  with  him 
at  the  present  moment,  I  believe." 

"  Very  well.  I  will  submit  this  specimen  to  Mr. 
Brand  as  you  desire,  and  will  let  you  know  to-morrow 
what  he  says." 

With  that  Wentworth  took  his  leave,  and  in  going 
out  through  the  hall  he  met  the  manager  of  the  china 
works,  although  he  didn't  know  at  the  time  who  he 
was.  He  was  a  very  shrewd-faced  individual,  who 
walked  with  a  brisk  business  step  which  showed  he 
believed  that  time  was  money. 

"  Well,  Melville,"  he  said  when  he  entered,  "  I  am  a 
little  late  to-day,  am  I  not  ?  " 

"  You  are  a  little  behind  the  usual  time,  but  i  pt 
much." 


i68  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  By  the  way "  began  the  manager,  and  then  his 

eye  wandered  to  the  specimen  on  the  desk  before 
Melville.  "  Hello !  "  he  cried,  "  where  did  you  get 
this?" 

"That  was  left  here  a  moment  ago  by  a  gentleman 
whom  I  wanted  to  wait  until  you  came,  but  he  seemed 
to  be  in  a  hurry.  He  is  going  to  call  again  to-morrow." 

"What  is  his  name?" 

"  Wentworth.     Here's  his  card." 

"Ah,  of  a  firm  of  accountants,  eh?  How  did  he 
come  to  have  this?" 

"  He  wanted  to  get  some  information  about  it,  and 
I  told  him  I  would  show  it  to  you.  Here  is  the  note 
he  left." 

The  manager  turned  the  crystal  over  and  over  in 
his  hand,  put  on  his  eyeglasses  and  peered  into  it, 
then  picked  up  the  piece  of  paper  and  looked  at  what 
Wentworth  had  written. 

"  Did  he  say  where  he  had  got  this  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  he  says  there  is  a  mine  of  it  in  America." 

"In  America,  eh?  Did  he  say  how  much  of  this 
stuff  there  was  ?  " 

"  No,  he  didn't  tell  me  that.  The  mine  is  working, 
however." 

"  It  is  very  curious  !     I  never  heard  of  it." 

"  I  gathered  from  him,"  said  Mr.  Melville,  "  that  he 
wishes  to  do  something  with  the  mine  over  here.  He 
did  not  say  much,  but  he  told  me  his  partner — I  forget 
his  name — was  talking  at  the  present  moment  with 
young  Longworth  about  it." 
"  Longworth — who's  he  ?  " 

"  He's  a  man  who  goes  in  for  mines  or  other  invest- 
ments ;  that  is,  his  uncle  does — a  very  shrewd  old  fel- 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  169 

low,  too.  He  is  always  on  the  right  side  of  the 
market,  no  matter  how  it  turns." 

"  Then,  he  would  be  a  man  certain  to  know  the 
value  of  the  property  if  he  had  it,  wouldn't  he  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  anybody  who  knows  the  value  of 
what  he  has  better  than  Longworth." 

"  Ah,  that's  a  pity,"  mused  the  manager. 

"  Why?     Is  it  a  mineral  of  any  worth  ?  " 

"  Worth  !  A  quarry  of  this  would  be  better  for  us 
than  a  gold-mine  !  " 

"  Well,  it  struck  me,  in  talking  with  Mr.  Wentworth, 
that  he  had  no  particular  idea  of  its  utility.  He 
seemed  to  know  nothing  about  it,  and  that's  why  he 
came  here  for  information." 

Again  the  manager  looked  at  the  paper  before  him. 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  about  that,"  he  said.  "  He  wants 
to  know  the  quantity  used  in  a  year,  how  much  of  it 
is  consumed  in  England,  and  the  price  we  pay  for  it 
per  ton.  I  should  judge,  from  that,  he  has  an  inkling 
of  its  value,  and  wants  merely  to  corroborate  it.  Yes, 
I  feel  certain  that  is  his  move.  I  fear  nothing  very 
much  can  be  done  with  Mr.  Wentworth." 

"What  were  you  thinking  of  doing?  " 

"  My  dear  Melville,  if  we  could  get  hold  of  such  a 
mine,  supposing  it  has  an  unlimited  quantity  of  this 
mineral  in  it,  we  could  control  the  china  markets  of 
the  world." 

"  You  don't  mean  it ! " 

"  It's  a  fact,  because  of  the  purity  of  the  mineral. 
The  stuff  that  we  use  is  heavily  impregnated  with  iron  ; 
we  have  to  get  the  iron  out  of  it,  and  that  costs  money. 
Not  that  the  stuff  itself  is  uncommon  at  all,  it  is  one 
of  the  most  common  substances  in  Nature  ;  but  any- 


i/o  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

thing  so  pure  as  this  I  have  never  seen.  I  wonder  if 
it  is  a  fair  specimen  of  what  they  can  get  out  of  the 
mine?  If  it  is,  I  would  rather  own  that  property  than 
any  gold-mine  I  know  of." 

"  Well,  I  will  see  Mr.  Wentworth,  if  you  like.  He 
is  going  to  call  here  about  this  time  to-morrow,  and  I 
will  find  out  if  some  arrangement  cannot  be  made  with 
him." 

"  No,  I  wouldn't  do  that,"  replied  the  manager,  who 
preferred  never  to  do  things  in  a  direct  way.  "  I 
think  your  best  plan  is  to  see  Longworth.  The 
chances  are  that  a  City  man  like  him  does  not  know 
the  value  of  the  property ;  and,  if  you  don't  mind,  I 
will  write  a  letter  to  Mr.  Wentworth  and  give  him  my 
opinion  on  this  mineral." 

"  What  shall  I  say  to  Longworth  ?  " 
"  Say  anything  you  like  ;  you  understand  that  kind 
of  business  better  than  I.  Here  are  the  facts  of  the 
case.  If  we  can  get  a  controlling  interest  in  this  mine, 
always  supposing  that  it  turns  out  mineral  up  to 
sample — I  suspect  that  this  is  a  picked  specimen  ;  of 
course  we  should  have  to  send  a  man  to  America  and 
see — if  we  could  get  hold  of  this  property,  it  would 
be  the  greatest  feat  in  business  we  have  ever  done, 
provided,  of  course,  we  get  it  at  a  cheap  enough 
price." 

"  What  do  you  call  a  cheap  enough  price  ?  " 
"  You  find  out  what  Longworth  will  sell   the  mine 
for." 

"  But  supposing  Wentworth  owns  the  mine,  or  as 
much  of  it  as  Longworth  does  ?  " 

"  I  think,  somehow,  that   if  you  know  Longworth 
you  can  perhaps  make  better  terms  with  him.     Mean- 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  171 

while  I  will  send  a  letter  to  Wentworth.     You  have 
•His  address  there  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Very  well." 

Taking  his  pen,  he  dashed  off  the  following  letter : 

"  DEAR  SIR, 

"  I  regret  to  say  that  the  mineral  you  left  at  our 
office  yesterday  is  of  no  value  to  us.  We  do  not  use 
mineral  of  this  nature,  and,  so  far  as  I  know,  it  is  not 
used  anywhere  in  England. 

"Yours  truly, 

"  ADAM  BRAND." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  chances  are  that,  no  matter  under  what  circum- 
stances young  Longworth  and  Kenyon  had  first  met, 
the  former  would  have  disliked  the  latter.  Although 
strong  friendships  are  formed  between  men  who  are 
dissimilar,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  equally  strong 
hatreds  have  arisen  between  people  merely  because 
they  were  of  opposite  natures.  No  two  young  men 
could  have  been  more  unlike  each  other  ;  and  as  Long- 
worth  recalled  the  different  meetings  he  had  had  with 
Kenyon,  he  admitted  to  himself  that  he  had  an  ex- 
treme antipathy  to  the  engineer.  The  evident  friend- 
ship which  his  cousin  felt  for  Kenyon  added  a  bitter- 
ness to  this  dislike  which  was  rapidly  turning  it  into 
hate.  However,  he  calmed  down  sufficiently,  on  going 
home  in  the  carriage,  to  become  convinced  that  it  was 
better  to  say  nothing  about  her  meeting  with  Kenyon 
unless  she  introduced  the  subject.  After  all,  the  car- 
riage was  hers,  not  his,  and  he  recognized  that  fact.  He 
wondered  how  much  Kenyon  had  told  her  of  the  inter- 
view at  his  uncle's  office.  He  flattered  himself,  how- 
ever, that  he  knew  enough  of  women  to  be  sure  that 
she  would  very  speedily  refer  to  the  subject,  and  then 
he  hoped  to  learn  just  how  much  had  been  said.  To  his 
surprise,  his  cousin  said  nothing  at  all  about  the  mat- 
172 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  173 

ter,  neither  that  evening  nor  the  next  morning,  and, 
consequently,  he  went  to  his  office  in  a  somewhat  be- 
wildered state  of  mind. 

On  arriving  at  his  room  in  the  City,  he  found  Melville 
waiting  for  him. 

Melville  shook  hands  with  young  Longworth,  and, 
taking  a  mineral  specimen  from  his  pocket,  placed  it  on 
the  young  man's  desk,  saying  : 

"  I  suppose  you  know  where  that  comes  from  ?  " 

Longworth  looked  at  it  with  an  air  of  indecision 
which  made  Melville  suspect  he  knew  very  little  about 
it. 

"  I  haven't  the  slightest  idea,  really." 

"  No  ?  I  was  told  you  were  interested  in  the  mine 
from  which  this  was  taken.  Mr.  Wentworth  called  on 
me  yesterday,  and  gave  your  name  as  one  of  those 
who  were  concerned  with  the  mine." 

"  Ah,  yes,  I  see  ;  yes,  yes,  I  have — some  interest  in 
the  mine." 

"Well,  it  is  about  that  I  came  to  talk  with  you. 
Where  is  the  mine  situated?" 

"  It  is  near  the  Ottawa  River,  I  believe,  some  dis- 
tance above  Montreal.  I  am  not  certain  about  its  exact 
position,  but  it  is  somewhere  in  that  neighborhood." 

"  I  thought  by  the  way  Wentworth  talked  it  was  in 
the  United  States.  He  mentioned  another  person  as 
being  his  partner  in  the  affair ;  I  forget  his  name." 

"John  Kenyon,  probably." 

"  Kenyon !  Yes,  I  think  that  was  the  name.  Yes,  I 
am  sure  it  was.  Now,  may  I  ask  what  is  your  connec- 
tion with  that  mine  ?  Are  you  are  a  partner  of  Went- 
worth's  and  Kenyon's?  Are  you  the  chief  owner  of  the 
mine,  or  is  the  mine  owned  by  them?  " 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  In  the  first  place,  Mr.  Melville,  I  should  like  to 
know  why  you  ask  me  these  questions  ?  " 

Melville  laughed. 

"  Well,  I  will  tell  you.  We  should  like  to  know  what 
chance  there  is  of  our  getting  a  controlling  interest  in 
the  mine.  That  is  very  frankly  put,  isn't  it?" 

"Yes,  it  is.  But  whom  do  you  mean  by  'we'? 
Who  else  besides  yourself?" 

"By  'we'  I  mean  the  china  company  to  which  I 
belong.  This  mineral  is  useful  in  making  china.  That 
I  suppose  you  know." 

"Yes,  I  was  aware  of  that,"  answered  Longworth, 
although  he  heard  it  now  for  the  first  time. 

"  Very  well,  then  ;  I  should  like  to  know  who  is  the 
owner  of  the  mine." 

"  The  owner  of  the  mine  at  present  is  some  foreigner 
whose  name  and  address  I  do  not  know.  The  two 
young  men  you  speak  of,  have  an  option  on  that  mine 
for  a  certain  length  of  time — how  long  I  don't  know. 
They  have  been  urging  me  to  go  in  with  them  to  form 
a  company  for  the  floating  of  that  mine  for  two 
hundred  thousand  pounds  on  the  London  market." 

"  Two  hundred  thousand  pounds  !  "  said  Melville. 
"  That  seems  to  me  as  rather  a  large  amount." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  Well,  the  objection  I  had  to  it 
was  that  it  was  too  small." 

"  Those  two  men  must  have  an  exaggerated  idea  of 
the  value  of  this  mineral  if  they  think  it  will  pay 
dividends  on  two  hundred  thousand  pounds." 

"  This  mineral  is  not  all  there  is  in  the  mine.  In  fact, 
it  is  already  paying  a  dividend  on  fifty  thousand  pounds 
or  thereabouts,  because  of  the  mica  in  it.  It  is  being 
mined  for  mica  alone.  To  tell  the  truth,  I  did  not 
know  much  about  the  other  mineral." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  175 

"  And  do  you  think  the  mine  is  worth  two  hundred 
thousand  pounds?" 

"  Frankly,  I  do  not." 

"  Then  why  are  you  connected  with  it?  " 

"  I  am  not  connected  with  it — at  least,  not  definitely 
connected  with  it.  I  have  the  matter  under  considera- 
tion. Of  course,  if  there  is  anything  approaching  a 
swindle  in  it,  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  It 
will  depend  largely  on  the  figures  that  the  two  men 
show  me  whether  I  have  anything  to  do  with  it  or 
not." 

"  I  see  ;  I  understand  your  position."  Then,  lowering 
his  voice,  Melville  leaned  over  towards  young  Long- 
worth,  and  said  :  "  You  are  a  man  of  business.  Now,  1 
want  to  ask  you  what  would  be  the  chance  of  oui 
getting  the  mine  at  something  like  the  original  option 
price,  which  is,  of  course,  very  much  less  than  two 
hundred  thousand  pounds?  We  do  not  want  to  have 
too  many  in  it.  In  fact,  if  you  could  get  it  for  us  at  a 
reasonable  rate,  and  did  not  care  to  be  troubled  with 
the  property  yourself,  we  would  take  the  whole  our- 
selves." 

Young  Longworth  pondered  a  moment,  and  then 
said  to  Melville: 

"  Do  you  mean  to  freeze  out  the  other  two  fellows,  as 
they  say  in  America?" 

"  I  do  not  know  about  freezing  out  ;  but,  of  course, 
with  the  other  two  there  is  so  much  less  profit  to  be 
divided.  We  should  like  to  deal  with  just  as  few  as 
possible." 

"  Exactly.  I  see  what  you  mean.  I  think  it  can  be 
done.  Are  you  in  any  great  hurry  to  secure  the  mine  ?  " 
"  Not  particularly.  Why?  " 


176  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Well,  if  things  are  worked  rightly,  I  don't  know 
but  what  we  could  get  it  for  the  original  option.  That 
would  mean,  of  course,  to  wait  until  this  first  option 
had  run  out." 

"Wouldn't  there  be  a  little  danger  in  that  ?  They 
may  form  their  company  in  the  meantime,  and  then 
we  should  lose  everything.  Our  interest  in  the  matter 
is  as  much  to  prevent  anyone  else  getting  hold  of  the 
mine  as  to  get  it  ourselves." 

"  I  see.  I  will  think  it  over.  I  believe  it  can  be 
done  without  great  risk ;  but,  of  course,  we  shall  have 
to  be  reasonably  quiet  about  the  matter." 

"  I  see  the  necessity  of  that." 

"  Very  good.  I  will  see  you  again  after  I  have 
thought  over  the  affair,  and  we  can  come  to  some 
arrangement." 

"  I  may  say  that  our  manager  has  written  a  note  to 
Wentworth,  saying  that  this  mineral  is  of  no  particular 
use  to  us." 

"  Exactly,"  said  young  Longworth,  with  a  look  of 
intelligence. 

"  So,  of  course,  in  speaking  with  Wentworth  about 
the  mine,  it  is  just  as  well  not  to  mention  us  in  any 
way." 

"  I  shall  not." 

"  Very  well.  I  will  leave  the  matter  in  your  hands 
for  the  present." 

"  Yes,  do  so.  I  will  think  over  it  this  afternoon,  and 
probably  see  Wentworth  and  Kenyon  to-morrow. 
There  is  no  immediate  hurry,  for  I  happen  to  know 
they  have  not  done  anything  yet." 

With  that  Mr.  Melville  took  his  leave,  and  young 
Longworth  paced  up  and  down  the  room,  evolving  a 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  177 

plan  that  would  at  once  bring  him  money,  and  give 
him  the  satisfaction  of  making  it  lively  for  John 
Kenyon. 

When  he  reached  home,  Longworth  waited  for  his 
cousin  to  say  something  about  Kenyon ;  but  he  soon 
saw  that  she  did  not  intend  to  speak  of  him  at  all.  So 
he  said  to  her: 

"  Edith,  do  you  remember  Kenyon  and  Wentworth — 
who  were  on  board  our  steamer  ?  " 

"  I  remember  them  very  well." 

"  Did  you  know  they  had  a  mining  property  for 
sale  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  I  have  been  thinking  about  it,  in  fact  Kenyon 
called  at  my  office  a  day  or  two  ago,  and  at  that  time, 
not  having  given  the  subject  much  thought,  I  could 
not  give  him  any  encouragement ;  but  I  have  been 
pondering  over  it  since,  and  have  almost  decided  to 
help  them.  What  do  you  think  about  it?" 

"  Oh,  I  think  it  would  be  an  excellent  plan.  I  am 
sure  the  property  is  a  good  one,  or  Mr.  Kenyon  would 
have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  I  shall  write  a  note  to 
them,  if  you  think  it  advisable,  inviting  them  here  to 
talk  with  you  about  it." 

"  That  will  not  be  necessary  at  all.  I  do  not  want 
people  to  come  here  to  talk  business.  My  office  is 
the  proper  place." 

"  Still,  we  met  them  in  a  friendly  way  on  board  the 
steamer,  and  I  think  it  would  be  nice  if  they  came 
here  some  evening,  and  talked  over  the  matter  with 
you." 

"I  don't  believe  in  introducing  business  into  a  man's 
home.  This  would  be  a  purely  business  conversation, 


1 78  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

and  it  may  as  well  take  place  at  my  office,  or  at 
Wentworth's,  if  he  has  one,  as  I  suppose  he  has." 

"  Oh,  certainly  ;  his  address  is " 

"Oh,  you  know  it,  do  you?  " 

Edith  blushed  as  she  realized  what  she  had  said  ; 
then  she  remarked : 

"  Is  there  any  harm  in  my  knowing  the  business 
address  of  Mr.  Wentworth  ?  " 

"  Oh,  not  at  all — not  at  all.  I  merely  wondered 
how  you  happened  to  know  his  address,  when  I 
didn't." 

"  Well,  it  doesn't  matter  how  I  know  it.  I  am  glad 
you  are  going  to  join  him,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  be 
successful.  Will  you  see  them  to-morrow?" 

"  I  think  so.  I  shall  call  on  Wentworth  and  have  a 
talk  with  him  about  it.  Of  course  we  may  not  be  able 
to  come  to  a  workable  arrangement.  If  not,  it  really 
does  not  matter  very  much.  But  if  I  can  make  satis- 
factory terms  with  them,  I  will  help  them  to  form 
their  company." 

When  Edith  went  to  her  own  room  she  wrote  a  note. 
It  was  addressed  to  George  Wentworth  in  the  City, 
but  above  that  address  was  the  name  John  Kenyon. 
She  said : 

"DEAR  MR.  KENYON, 

"  I  was  certain  at  the  time  you  spoke,  that 
my  cousin  was  not  so  much  at  fault  in  forgetting  his 
conversation  as  you  thought.  We  had  a  talk  to-night 
about  the  mine,  and  when  he  calls  upon  you  to-morrow, 
as  he  intends  to  do,  I  want  you  to  know  that  I  said 
nothing  whatever  to  him  of  what  you  told  me.  He 
mentioned  the  subject  first.  I  wanted  you  to  know 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  179 

this  because  you  might  feel  embarrassed  when  you 
met  him  by  thinking  I  had  sent  him  to  you.  That  is 
not  at  all  the  case.  He  goes  to  you  of  his  own  accord, 
and  I  am  sure  you  will  find  his  assistance  in  forming 
a  company  very  valuable.  I  am  glad  to  think  you 
will  be  partners. 

"  Yours  very  truly, 

"  EDITH  LONGWORTH." 


She  gave  this  letter  to  her  maid  to  post,  and  young 
Longworth  met  the  maid  in  the  hall  with  the  letter  in 
her  hand.     He  somehow  suspected,  after  the  foregoing 
conversation,  to  whom  the  letter  was  addressed. 

"  Where  are  you  going  with  that  ?  " 

"  To  the  post,  sir." 

"  I  am  going  out  ;  to  save  you  the  trouble  I  will 
take  it." 

After  passing  the  corner,  he  looked  at  the  address  on 
the  envelope  ;  then  he  swore  to  himself  a  little.  If  he 
had  been  a  villain  in  a  play  he  would  have  opened  the 
letter  ;  but  he  did  not.  He  merely  dropped  it  into  the 
first  pillar-box  he  came  to  and  in  due  time  it  reached 
John  Kenyon. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

ALTHOUGH  Jennie  Brewster  arrived  in  London  angry 
with  the  world  in  general,  and  with  several  of  its  in- 
habitants in  particular,  she  soon  began  to  revel  in  the 
delights  of  the  great  city.  It  was  so  old  that  it  was 
new  to  her,  and  she  visited  Westminster  Abbey  and 
other  of  its  ancient  landmarks  in  rapid  succession. 
The  cheapness  of  the  hansoms  delighted  her,  and  she 
spent  most  of  her  time  dashing  about  in  cabs.  She 
put  up  at  one  of  the  big  hotels,  and  ordered  many  new 
dresses  at  a  place  in  Regent  Street.  She  bought  most 
of  the  newspapers,  morning  and  evening,  and  declared 
she  could  not  find  an  interesting  article  in  any  of 
them.  From  her  point  of  view  they  were  stupid  and 
unenterprising,  and  she  resolved  to  run  down  the 
editor  of  one  of  the  big  dailies  when  she  got  time, 
interview  him,  and  discover  how  he  reconciled  it  with 
his  conscience  to  get  out  so  dull  a  sheet  every  day. 

She  wrote  to  her  editor  in  New  York  that  London, 
though  a  slow  town,  was  full  of  good  material,  and 
that  nobody  had  touched  it  in  the  writing  line  since 
Dickens'  time;  therefore  she  proposed  to  write  a  series  of 
articles  on  the  Metropolis  that  would  wake  them  up  a 
bit.  The  editor  cabled  to  her  to  go  ahead,  and  she  went. 

Jennie  engaged  a  chaperon,  and  took  great  satis- 
faction in  this  unwonted  luxury.  It  had  been  inti- 
180 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  181 

mated  to  her  that  Lady  Willow  was  a  sort  of  society 
St.  Peter,  who  held  keys  that  would  open  the  gates 
of  the  social  heaven,  if  she  were  sufficiently  recom- 
pensed. Of  all  the  ancient  landmarks  of  England,  none 
attracted  Jennie  so  much  as  the  aristocracy,  and  al- 
though she  had  written  to  New  York  for  letters  of  in- 
troduction that  would  be  useful  in  London,  she  was  too 
impatient  to  await  their  arrival.  Thus  she  came  to  se- 
cure the  services  of  Lady  Willow,  the  widow  of  Sir 
Debenham  Willow,  who  had  died  abroad,  insolvent, 
some  years  before,  mourned  by  the  creditors  he  left 
behind  him. 

Jennie  was  suspicious  about  the  title,  and  demanded 
convincing  proofs  of  its  genuineness  before  she  engaged 
Lady  Willow.  She  was  amazed  that  any  real  lady 
would,  as  it  were,  sell  her  social  influence  at  so  much 
a  week ;  but,  as  Lady  Willow  was  equally  astonished 
that  an  American  girl  earned  her  livelihood  by  writing 
for  the  papers,  the  surprise  of  the  one  found  its  counter- 
part in  the  wonder  of  the  other. 

Lady  Willow  thought  all  American  girls  were  born 
daughters  of  millionaires,  in  accordance  with  some 
unexplained  Western  by-law  of  nature,  and  imagined 
that  their  sole  object  in  desiring  to  enter  London 
society  was  to  purchase  for  themselves  a  more  or  less 
expensive  scion  of  the  aristocracy  ;  she  was  therefore 
inclined  to  resent  meeting  a  shrewd  young  woman  ap- 
parently determined  on  getting  the  value  for  her  money. 

"  It  is  not  my  custom  to  chaffer  about  terms,"  said 
Lady  Willow  with  much  dignity. 

"  It  is  mine,"  replied  Jennie  complacently  ;  "  I  always 
like  to  know  what  I  am  buying,  and  the  price  I  am  to 
pay  for  it." 


1 82  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"You  are  dealing  with  me,"  said  the  lady,  rising  in- 
dignantly, "  as  if  you  were  engaging  a  cook.  I  am 
sure  we  would  not  suit  each  other  at  all." 

"  Please  sit  down,  Lady  Willow,  and  don't  be 
offended.  Let  us  talk  it  over  in  an  amicable  manner, 
even  if  we  come  to  no  arrangement.  I  think  a  cook 
an  exceedingly  important  person,  and  I  assure  you  I 
would  treat  one  in  the  most  deferential  manner ;  while 
with  you,  on  the  other  hand,  I  talk  in  an  open  and 
frank  way,  as  between  friend  and  friend.  I  take  it 
that  you  and  I  are  somewhat  similarly  situated.  We 
are  neither  of  us  rich,  and  so  we  have  each  of  us  to 
earn  the  money  we  need  in  our  own  way.  It  would 
be  dishonest  if  I  pretended  to  you  that  I  was  wealthy, 
and  then  couldn't  pay  what  you  expected  after  you 
had  done  all  you  could  for  me — now,  wouldn't  it  ? 
Very  well,  if  you  have  anyone  else  to  chaperon  who 
can  afford  to  pay  more  than  I  can,  you  shouldn't 
bother  about  me  at  all,  but  secure  a  richer  client." 

Lady  Willow  remembered  that  this  was  not  the 
season  when  rich  clients  abounded  ;  so  she  smothered 
her  resentment,  and  sat  down  again. 

"  That's  right,"  said  Jennie  ;  "  we'll  have  a  nice  quiet 
talk,  whatever  comes  of  it.  Now,  if  you  like,  I  could 
write  a  lovely  article  about  you  in  the  Sunday  Argus, 
and  then  all  rich  girls  who  come  over  here  would  go 
direct  to  you." 

"  Oh  dear!  oh  dear  !  "  cried  Lady  Willow,  evidently 
inexpressibly  shocked  at  the  idea,  "you  would  surely 
never  do  so  cruel  a  thing  as  that  ?  If  my  friends 
knew  I  chaperoned  young  ladies  and  took  money  for  it, 
I  would  never  be  allowed  to  enter  their  doors  again." 

"Ah,  I  didn't  think  of  that.     Of  course  it  wouldn't 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  183 

do.  What  a  curious  thing  it  is  that  those  who  want 
to  be  written  up  in  the  papers  generally  never  see 
their  names  in  print ;  while  those  who  don't  want  to 
have  anything  said  about  them  are  the  people  the 
reporters  are  always  after." 

"  Do  you  write  for  the  papers,  then?" 

"  For  one  of  them." 

"How  dreadful!"  said  Lady  Willow,  rising  again, 
with  an  air  of  finality  about  her  movement.  It  was 
evident  that  any  dealings  with  this  American  girl  were 
out  of  the  question. 

"  Do  sit  down  again,  Lady  Willow.  We  will  take  it 
that  I  am  hopelessly  ineligible,  and  so  say  no  more 
about  it ;  but  I  do  want  to  have  a  talk  with  you." 

"  But  you  will  write  something — 

"  I  shall  not  write  a  word  about  you  or  about  any- 
thing you  tell  me.  You  see,  your  profession  is  as 
strange  to  me  as  mine  is  to  you." 

"  My  profession  ?     I  have  none." 

"  Well,  whatever  you  call  it.  I  mean  Che  way  in 
which  you  make  your  money." 

Lady  Willow  sighed,  and  the  tears  came  into  her 
eyes. 

"  You  little  know,  my  child,  to  what  straits  one  may 
come  who  is  left  unprovided  for,  and  who  has  to  do 
the  best  to  keep  up  appearances." 

Jennie  sprang  up  instantly  and  took  the  unresisting 
hand  of  the  elder  woman,  smoothing  it  with  her  own 
caressingly. 

"  Why,  of  course  I  know,"  she  cried,  with  a  little 
quaver  in  her  voice  ;  "  and  there  is  nothing  more 
terrible  on  earth  than  lack  of  money.  If  there  was 
a  single  really  civilized  country  in  existence,  it  would 


1 84  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

make  provision  for  its  women.  Every  woman  should 
be  assured  enough  to  live  on,  merely  because  she  is  a 
woman.  If  England  had  put  aside  as  much  for  its 
women  as  it  has  spent  in  the  last  hundred  years  on 
foolish  wars,  or  if  America  had  made  a  fund  of  what 
its  politicians  have  been  allowed  to  steal,  the  women 
of  both  barbarous  countries  might  have  been  provided 
with  incomes  that  would  at  least  keep  them  from  the 
fear  of  want." 

Lady  Willow  seemed  more  alarmed  than  comforted 
by  the  vehemence  of  Miss  Brewster.  She  said  hesi- 
tatingly : 

"  I'm  afraid  you  have  some  very  strange  ideas,  my 
dear." 

"  Perhaps  ;  but  I  have  one  idea  that  isn't  strange  : 
it  is  that  you  are  going  to  take  charge  of  a  lonesome, 
friendless  girl  for  a  few  weeks  at  least — until  the  rich 
pork-packer's  daughter  from  Chicago  comes  along,  and 
she  won't  be  here  for  a  month  or  two  yet.  We  won't 
say  a  word  about  terms  ;  I'll  pay  you  all  that's  left  over 
from  my  hansom  fares." 

"  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  do  what  I  can  for  you,  my 
dear." 

Lady  Willow  had  softened  towards  her  fair  client, 
and  had  now  adopted  a  somewhat  motherly  tone  with 
her,  which  Jennie  evidently  liked. 

"  I  will  try  and  be  very  little  trouble  to  you,  although 
I  shall  probably  ask  you  ever  so  many  questions.  All  I 
really  want  is  merely  to  see  the  Zoo,  hear  the  animals 
roar,  and  watch  them  being  fed.  I  have  no  ambition 
to  steal  any  of  them." 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  easily  done,"  said  Lady  Willow  in 
surprise.  "  We  can  get  tickets  from  one  of  the  Fellows 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  185 

of  the  Zoological  Society  which  will  admit  us  on 
Sunday,  when  there  are  but  few  people  there." 

Jennie  laughed  merrily, 

"  I  mean  the  social  Zoo,  Lady  Willow  ;  I  have  visited 
the  other  already.  Please  do  not  look  so  shocked  at 
me,  and  don't  be  afraid ;  I  really  talk  very  nicely  when 
I  am  in  society,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  not  be  in  the 
least  ashamed  of  me.  You  see,  I  haven't  had  a  soul 
to  speak  with  since  I  came  to  London,  so  I  think  I 
ought  to  be  allowed  a  little  latitude  at  first." 

Lady  Willow  so  far  relaxed  her  dignity  as  to  smile, 
although  a  little  dubiously;  and  Jennie  joyfully  pro- 
claimed that  their  compact  was  sealed  and  that  she 
was  sure  they  would  be  great  friends. 

"  Now  you  must  tell  me  what  I  am  to  do,"  she  con- 
tinued. "  I  suppose  dresses  are  the  most  important 
preliminaries  when  one  is  meditating  a  siege  on  society. 
Well,  I've  ordered  ever  so  many,  so  that's  all  right. 
What's  the  next  thing?" 

"  Yes,  dress  is  important  ;  but  I  think  the  first 
thing  to  do  is  to  choose  pleasant  rooms  somewhere. 
You  can't  stay  at  this  hotel,  you  know;  besides,  it 
must  be  very  expensive." 

"  Yes,  it  is  rather ;  but  it  is  so  handy  and  central." 

"  It  is  not  central  for  society." 

"  Oh,  isn't  it  ?  I  was  thinking  of  Westminster  Abbey 
and  Trafalgar  Square,  and  that  sort  of  thing.  Besides, 
there's  always  a  nice  hansom  right  at  the  door  when- 
ever one  wants  to  go  out." 

"  Oh,  but  you  mustn't  ride  in  hansoms,  you  know  !  " 

"  Why  ?  I  thought  the  aristocracy — the  very  high- 
est— rode  in  hansoms." 

"  Some  of  them  have  private  hansoms  ;  but  that's  a 
very  different  thing." 


1 86  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"And  I  heard  somewhere  that  most  of  the  hansoms 
in  London  are  owned  by  the  aristocracy.  I  am  sure  I 
rode  in  one  belonging  to  the  Marquis  of  Something — 
I  forget  his  name.  I  don't  suppose  the  Marquis  him- 
self drove  it.  Perhaps  it  was  driven  by  his  hired  man  ; 
but  the  driver  was  such  a  nice  young  fellow,  and  he 
gave  me  a  lot  of  information.  He  told  me  that  the 
Marquis  owned  the  hansom  :  for  I  asked  him  whose  it 
was.  I  thought  perhaps  it  belonged  to  the  driver. 
I'll  give  up  the  hotel  willingly,  but  I  don't  know  about 
hansoms.  I'm  afraid  to  promise ;  for  I  feel  sure  I'll 
hail  a  hansom  automatically  the  moment  I  go  out 
alone.  So  we  will  postpone  the  hansom  question  until 
later.  Now,  where  would  you  recommend  me  to  stay 
while  in  London?" 

"  You  could  stop  with  me  if  you  liked.  I  have  not 
a  large  house  ;  but  there  is  room  for  one  or  two  friends, 
and  it  is  a  very  good  locality." 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  delightful.  I  suppose  the  correct 
address  on  one's  notepaper  is  everything,  almost  as 
good  as  a  coat-of-arms — if  they  use  coats-of-arms  as 
letter-heads ;  and  there  is  a  difference  between  Drury 
and  Park  when  they  precede  the  word  '  Lane.' " 

The  two  ladies  speedily  came  to  an  understanding 
that  was  satisfactory  to  each  of  them,  and  Lady  Wil- 
low found,  to  the  no  small  comforting  of  her  dignity, 
that,  although  she  came  to  the  hotel  in  the  attitude  of 
one  who,  if  it  may  be  so  expressed,  sought  a  favor, 
the  impetuous  eagerness  of  the  younger  woman  had 
so  changed  the  situation  that  the  elder  lady  now  left 
with  the  gratifying  self-complacency  of  a  generous  per- 
son who  has  conferred  a  boon.  Nor  was  her  conde- 
scension without  its  reward,  both  material  and  intel- 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  187 

lectual,  for  not  only  did  Jennie  pay  her  way  with  some 
lavishness,  but  her  immediate  social  success  was  flat- 
tering to  Lady  Willow  as  the  introducer  of  a  Transat- 
lantic cousin  so  bright  and  vivacious. 

So  great  an  impression  did  Jennie  make  upon  the 
more  susceptible  portion  of  the  young  men  she  met 
under  Lady  Willow's  chaperonage,  that  even  the 
rumor  which  got  abroad,  that  she  had  no  money,  did 
not  dampen  the  devotion  of  all  of  them.  Lord  Fred- 
erick Bingham  was  quite  as  assiduous  in  his  attentions 
as  if  she  were  the  greatest  heiress  that  ever  crossed 
the  ocean  to  exchange  dubiously  won  gold  for  a  title 
founded  by  some  thief  in  the  Middle  Ages,  thus  bring- 
ing ancient  and  modern  villainy  into  juxtaposition. 

Lady  Willow  saw  Lord  Frederick's  preference  with 
pleasurable  surprise.  Although  she  did  not  altogether 
approve  of  the  damsel  in  her  care,  she  had  become 
very  fond  of  her  ;  but  she  failed  to  see  why  Jennie 
was  so  much  sought  after,  when  other  girls  almost  as 
pretty  and  much  more  eiligible,  were  neglected.  She 
hinted  delicately  to  the  young  woman  one  day  that 
perhaps  her  visit  to  England  would  not  be,  after  all, 
so  futile. 

"  I  don't  think  I  understand  you,"  said  Jennie. 

"  Well,  my  dear,  with  a  little  tact  on  your  part,  I'm 
not  at  all  sure  but  Lord  Frederick  Bingham  might 
propose." 

Jennie,  who  was  putting  on  her  gloves,  paused  and 
looked  at  Lady  Willow,  with  a  merry  twinkle  in  her 
eyes,  and  a  demure  smile  hovering  about  the  corners 
of  her  mouth. 

"  Do  you  imagine,  then,  that  I  have  come  over  here 
£o  ensnare  some  poor  unprotected  nobleman — with  a. 


i88  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

display  of  tact  ?  Oh,  dear  me !  As  if  tact  had  any 
thing  to  do  with  it !  Never,  never,  never,  Lady 
Willow  !  I  wouldn't  marry  an  Englishman  if  he  were 
the  last  man  left  on  earth." 

"  Many  Englishmen  are  very  nice,  my  dear,"  pro- 
tested Lady  Willow  gently,  with  a  deep  sigh,  for  she 
thought  of  her  own  husband,  who,  having  been  all 
his  life  an  irreclaimable  reprobate,  had  commanded 
her  utmost  affection  while  he  lived,  and  was  the  object 
of  her  tcnderest  regret  now  that  he  had  taken  his 
departure  from  a  world  that  had  never  appreciated  his 
talents,  although  its  influence  was,  in  the  estimation 
the  widow,  entirely  to  blame  for  those  shortcomings 
which  Sir  Debenham  had  been  unable  to  conceal. 

"  And  yet,"  continued  Jennie  inconsequently,  as  she 
buttoned  her  glove,  "  I  do  adore  a  title  ;  I  wonder 
why  that  is  ?  I  suppose  no  woman  is  ever  at  heart  a 
republican,  and  if  the  United  States  is  to  be  wrecked, 
it  is  the  women  who  will  do  the  wrecking,  and  start  a 
monarchy.  I  have  no  doubt  the  men  would  let  us 
proclaim  an  empire  now  if  they  imagined  it  would 
please  us." 

"  I  thought  you  were  all  sovereigns  over  there 
already,"  said  Lady  Willow. 

"  Oh,  we  are,  but  that's  just  the  trouble.  There  is 
too  much  competition  in  the  queen  business;'  there  are 
too  many  of  us,  and  so  we  exchange  our  sovereignty 
for  the  lesser  titles  of  duchesses  and  countesses  and 
all  that. 

" '  It  is  no  trivial  thing,  I  ween, 
To  be  a  regular  Royal  Queen. 
No  half  and  half  affair,  I  mean, 
But  a  right  down  regular,  regular,  regular,  regular  Royal  Queen,'  " 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  189 

I  don't  know  that  the  words  are  right,  but  the  senti- 
ment is  there.  Oh,  dear  me  !  I'm  afraid  I'm  becoming 
quite  English,  you  know." 

"  I  don't  see  many  signs  of  it,"  said  Lady  Willow, 
smiling  in  spite  of  herself  as  her  voluble  companion 
sang  and  danced  abaut  the  room. 

"Come,  Lady  Willow,"  cried  Jennie,  "get  on  your 
things ;  I  am  going  to  a  City  bank  to  cash  a  cheque, 
and  I  warn  you  that  I  will  take  a  hansom.  Lord 
Freddie  agrees  with  me  that  a  hansom  is  the  jolliest 
kind  of  vehicle :  please  don't  frown  at  me,  Lady 
Willow — 'jolliest'  is  Lord  Freddie's  word,  not  mine." 

"  What  I  didn't  like,'"  said  Lady  Willow,  with  as  near 
an  approach  to  severity  as  the  kindly  woman  could 
assume,  "  was  your  calling  him  Lord  Freddie." 

*'  Oh,  that's  his  phrase,  too !  He  says  everybody 
calls  him  Lord  Freddie.  But  come  along,  and  I'll  call 
him  Lord — Frederick — Bingham,"  with  a  voice  of  awe 
and  appropriate  pauses  between  the  words.  "  He 
always  seems  so  trivial  compared  with  his  name  ;  he 
reminds  me  of  a  salesman  at  a  remnant  counter,  and  I 
don't  wonder  everybody  calls  him  Lord  Freddie.  I'm 
afraid  I'm  a  disappointed  woman,  Lady  Willow.  I 
suppose  the  men  have  retrograded  since  armor  went 
out  of  fashion  ;  they  had  to  be  big  and  strong  then 
to  carry  so  much  hardware.  Of  course  it  makes  a 
difference  to  a  man  whether  his  tailor  cuts  him  a  suit 
out  of  broadcloth  or  out  of  sheet  iron.  Yes,  I  begin  to 
suspect  that  I've  come  to  England  several  centuries 
too  late.' 

Lady  Willow  was  too  much  shocked  at  these  frivolous 
remarks  to  make  any  reply,  so,  attempting  none,  she 
went  to  her  room  to  prepare  for  her  trip  to  the  City. 


190  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

Leaving  Lady  Willow  in  the  hansom,  Jennie  entered 
the  bank  and  got  the  white  notes,  generally  alluded  to 
in  fiction  as  "  crisp,"  stuffing  them  with  greater  care- 
lessness than  their  value  warranted  into  her  purse. 
She  took  from  this  receptacle  of  her  wealth  a  bit  of 
paper  on  which  was  written  an  address,  and  this  she 
looked  at  for  some  moments  before  leaving  the  bank. 
On  reaching  the  hansom,  she  handed  up  the  slip  of 
paper  to  the  driver. 

"  Do  you  know  where  that  is  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Yes,  miss  ;  it  is  just  round  the  corner." 

"  Well,  drive  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  and 
stop  where  I  can  see  the  door  of  No.  23." 

"  Very  good,  miss." 

Arriving  nearly  opposite  No.  23,  the  driver  pulled 
up.  Jennie  looked  across  at  the  doorway  where  many 
hurrying  men  were  entering  and  leaving.  It  was  a 
large  building  evidently  filled  with  offices.  The  girl 
drew  a  deep  breath,  but  made  no  motion  to  leave  the 
hansom. 

"  Have  you  business  here,  too  ?  "  asked  Lady  Wil- 
low, to  whom  the  City  was  unknown  land,  the  rush  and 
noise  of  which  was  unpleasantly  bewildering. 

"  No,"  said  Jennie,  with  a  doleful  note  in  her  voice, 
"  this  is  not  business  ;  it  is  pleasure.  I  want  to  sit  here 
for  a  few  minutes  and  think." 

"  But,  my  dear  child,"  expostulated  Lady  Willow, 
"  you  can't  think  in  this  babble  :  besides,  the  police  will 
not  allow  the  hansom  to  stand  here  unless  one  of  us  is 
shopping,  or  has  business  in  an  office." 

"  Then,  dear  Lady  Willow,  do  go  shopping  for  ten 
minutes ;  I  saw  some  lovely  shops  just  down  the 
-rrri-t.  Here  are  five  pounds,  and  if  you  see  any- 


A  WOMAN   INTERVENES.  191 

thing  that  I  ought  to  have,  buy  it  for  me.  One  must 
think  now  and  then,  you  know.  Our  thoughts  are 
like  the  letters  we  receive  ;  we  need  to  sort  them  out 
periodically,  and  discard  those  that  we  don't  wish  to 
keep.  I  want  to  rummage  over  my  thoughts  and  see 
whether  some  of  them  are  to  be  abandoned  or  not." 

When  Lady  Willow  left  her,  Jennie  sat  with  her 
chin  in  her  hands  and  her  elbows  on  her  knees  gazing 
across  at  No.  23.  The  faces  of  none  who  went  in  or 
came  out  were  familiar  to  her.  Frequently  glances 
were  cast  at  her  by  passers-by,  but  she  paid  no  heed 
to  the  crowd,  nor  to  the  fleeting  admiration  her  pretty 
face  aroused  in  many  a  flinty  stockbroking  breast,  if, 
indeed,  she  was  conscious  of  the  attention  she 
received.  She  awoke  from  her  reverie  when  Lady 
Willow  stepped  into  the  hansom. 

"  What,  back  already  ?  "  she  cried. 

"  I  have  been  away  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,"  said 
the  elder  woman  reproachfully.  "  Besides,  the  money 
is  all  spent  and  here  are  the  parcels." 

"  Money  doesn't  go  far  in  the  City,  does  it  ?  "  said 
Jennie. 

"Why,  what's  the  matter  with  you,  my  dear?" 
asked  the  elder  woman ;  "  your  voice  sounds  as  if  you 
had  been  crying." 

"  Nonsense  !  What  an  idea  ?  This  street  reminds 
me  so  of  Broadway  that  I  have  become  quite  home- 
sick, that's  all.  I  think  I'll  go  back  to  New  York." 

"  Have  you  met  somebody  from  over  there?" 

"  No,  no.     I've  seen  no  one  I  knew." 

"  Did  you  expect  to  ?  " 

"  Perhaps." 

"  I  didn't  know  you  had  any  friends  in  the  City."' 


192  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  I  haven't.     He's  an  enemy." 
"  Really?    An  enemy  who  was  once  a  friend  ?  " 
"  Yes.     Why  do  you  ask  so  many  questions  ?  " 
Lady  Willow  took  the  girl's  hand,  and  said  sooth- 
ingly : 

"  I  am  sorry  there  was  a  misunderstanding." 
"So  am  I,"  agreed  Jennie. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

WHEN  John  Kenyon  entered  the  office  of  his  friend 
next  morning,  Wentworth  said  to  him : 

"  Well,  what  luck  with  the  Longworths?" 

"  No  luck  at  all,"  was  the  answer,  "  the  young  man 
seemed  to  have  forgotten  all  about  our  conversation 
on  board  the  steamer,  and  the  old  gentleman  takes  no 
interest  in  the  matter." 

Wentworth  hemmed  and  tapped  on  the  desk  with 
the  end  of  his  lead  pencil. 

"  I  never  counted  much  on  that  young  fellow,"  ho 
said  at  last.  "  What  appeared  to  be  his  reason  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  exactly.     He  didn't  give  any  reason 
He  merely  said  that  he  would  have   nothing  to  do 
with  it,  after  having  got   me  to   tell  him  what   our 
option  on  the  mine  was." 

"  Why  did  you  tell  him  that  ?  " 

"  Well,  it  seemed,  after  I  had  talked  to  him  a  little, 
that  there  was  some  hope  of  his  going  in  with  us.  I 
told  him  point-blank  that  I  didn't  care  to  say  at  what 
figure  we  had  the  option  unless  he  was  going  in  with 
us.  He  said  of  course  he  couldn't  consider  the  matter 
at  all  unless  he  knew  to  what  he  was  committed  ;  and 
so  I  told  him." 

"And  what  excuse  did  he  make  for  not  joining  us?n 

193 


194  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Oh,  he  merely  said  he  thought  he  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  it." 

"  Now,  what  do  you  imagine  his  object  was  in  pump- 
ing you  if  he  had  no  intention  of  taking  an  interest  in 
the  mine?" 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  I  do  not  understand  that 
sort  of  a  man  at  all.  In  fact,  I  feel  rather  relieved  he 
is  going  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  I  distrust 
him." 

"That's  all  very  well,  John,  you  are  prejudiced 
against  him  ;  but  you  know  the  name  of  Longworth 
would  have  a  great  effect  upon  the  minds  of  other  City 
men.  If  we  can  get  the  Longworths  into  this,  even 
for  a  small  amount,  I  am  certain  that  we  shall  have 
very  little  trouble  in  floating  the  company." 

"  Well,  all  I  can  say  is,  my  mission  to  the  Long- 
worths  was  a  failure.  Have  you  looked  over  the 
papers  ?  " 

"  Oh  yes,  and  that  reminds  me.  The  point  on 
which  the  whole  scheme  turns  is  the  availability  of 
the  mineral  for  the  making  of  china,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"That  is  so." 

"Well,  look  at  this  letter;  it  came  this  morning." 

He  tossed  the  letter  over  to  Kenyon,  who  read  it, 
and  then  asked : 

"  Who's  Adam  Brand?  He  doesn't  know  what  he 
is  talking  about." 

"  Ah,  but  the  trouble  is  that  he  does.  No  man  in 
England  better,  I  should  imagine.  He  is  the  manager 
and  part  owner  of  the  big  Scranton  china  works.  I 
went  to  see  Melville  of  that  company  yesterday.  He 
could  tell  me  nothing  about  the  mineral,  but  kept  the 
specimen  I  gave  him,  and  told  me  he  would  show  it  to 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  195 

the  manager  when  he  came  in.  Brand  is  the  manager 
of  the  works,  and  if  anybody  knows  the  value  of  the 
mineral  he  ought  to  be  the  man." 

"  Nevertheless,"  said  Kenyon,  "  he  is  mistaken." 

"  That  is  just  the  point  of  the  whole  matter — is  he  ? 
The  mineral  is  either  valueless,  as  he  says,  or  he  is 
telling  a  deliberate  lie  for  some  particular  purpose  ;  and 
I  can't  see,  for  the  life  of  me,  why  a  stranger  should 
not  only  tell  a  falsehood,  but  write  it  on  paper.  Now, 
John,  what  do  you  know  about  china  manufacture?  " 

"  I  know  very  little  indeed,  about  it." 

"  Very  well,  then,  how  can  you  put  your  knowledge 
against  this  man's,  who  is  a  practical  manufacturer?  " 

Kenyon  looked  at  Wentworth,  who  was  evidently 
not  feeling  in  the  best  of  humors. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say,  George,  that  I  do  not  know 
what  I  am  talking  about  when  I  tell  you  that  this 
mineral  is  valuable  for  a  certain  purpose?  " 

"  Well,  you  have  just  admitted  that  you  know  noth- 
ing about  the  china  trade." 

"  Not  '  nothing,'  George — I  know  something  about 
it ;  but  what  I  do  understand  is  the  value  of  minerals. 
The  reason  I  know  anything  at  all  about  china  manu- 
facture is  simply  because  I  learned  that  this  mineral 
is  one  of  the  most  important  components  of  china." 

"  Then  why  did  that  man  write  such  a  letter?" 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  As  you  saw  the  man,  you 
can  judge  better  than  I  whether  he  would  tell  a 
deliberate  falsehood,  or  whether  he  was  merely 
ignorant." 

"  I  didn't  see  Brand  at  all  ;  I  saw  Melville.  Mel- 
ville was  to  submit  this  mineral  to  Brand,  and  let  me 
know  what  he  thought  about  it.  Of  course,  every- 


196  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

thing  depends  upon  the  value  of  it  in  the  china 
trade." 

"  Of  course." 

"  Very  well  then,  I  took  the  only  way  that  was  open 
to  me  to  find  out  what  practical  men  say  about  it.  If 
they  say  they  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  it,  then 
we  might  as  well  give  up  our  mining  scheme  and  send 
back  our  option  to  Mr.  Von  Brent." 

Kenyon  read  the  letter  again,  and  pondered  deeply 
over  it. 

"  You  see,  of  course,"  said  George  once  more, 
"  everything  hinges  on  that,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  I  certainly  see  that." 

"  Then,  what  have  you  to  say  ?  " 

"  I  have  to  say  this — that  I  shall  have  to  take  a  trip 
among  the  china  works  of  Great  Britain.  I  think  it 
would  be  a  good  plan  if  you  were  to  write  to  the  dif- 
ferent manufacturers  in  the  United  States  and  find 
out  how  much  they  use  of  it.  There  is  no  necessity 
for  sending  the  mineral.  They  have  to  use  that,  and 
nothing  else  will  do.  Find  out  from  them,  if  you  can, 
how  much  of  it  they  need,  what  price  they  will  pay  for 
pure  material,  and  what  they  pay  for  the  impure  ma- 
terial they  use  now." 

"  How  do  you  know,  John,  that  there  are  not  a  dozen 
mines  with  that  material  in  them?  " 

"  How  do  I  know  ?  Well,  if  you  want  to  impugn  my 
knowledge  of  mineralogy,  I  wish  you  would  do  so 
straight  out.  I  either  know  my  business  or  I  do  not. 
If  you  think  I  do  not,  then  leave  this  matter  entirely 
alone.  I  tell  you  that  what  I  say  about  this  mineral 
is  true.  What  I  say  about  its  scarcity  is  true.  There 
are  no  other  mines  with  mineral  so  pure  as  this." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  197 

"  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  when  you  say  that,  but  you 
must  remember  those  who  are  going  to  put  their  money 
in  this  company  will  not  be  satisfied.  They  must  have 
the  facts  and  figures  down  before  them,  and  they  are 
not  going  to  take  either  your  word  or  mine  as  to  the 
value  of  the  mineral.  Your  proposal  about  seeing  the 
different  manufactories  is  good.  I  would  act  upon  it 
at  once,  if  I  were  you.  We  must  have  the  opinions  of 
practical  men  set  forth  clearly  before  we  can  make  a 
move  in  the  matter.  Now,  how  much  of  this  mineral 
have  you  got  ?  " 

"  Only  the  few  lumps"  I  took  with  me  in  my  port- 
manteau. The  barrel  full  of  it  which  we  got  at 
Burntpine  has  not  arrived  yet.  I  suppose  it  came  by 
slow  steamer,  and  is  probably  on  the  ocean  still." 

"  Very  good.  Take  what  specimens  you  have,  go  to 
the  North,  and  see  those  manufacturers.  Get,  in  some 
way  or  other,  whether  from  the  principals  or  from 
the  subordinates,  the  price  they  pay  for  it,  and  the  cost 
of  removing  the  adulteration  from  the  stuff  they  employ 
now ;  because  that  is  really  the  material  we  come  into 
competition  with.  It  is  not  with  their  first  raw 
material,  but  with  their  material  as  cleared  from  the 
deleterious  foreign  substances,  that  we  have  to  deal. 
Find  out  exactly  what  it  costs  to  do  this  purifying,  and 
then,  when  you  get  your  facts  and  figures,  I  will  arrange 
them  for  you  in  the  best  order.  Meanwhile,  as  you 
suggest,  I  will  learn  what  manufactories  there  are 
in  the  States.  Nothing  can  be  done  except  that  until 
you  come  back,  and,  if  I  were  you,  I  should  leave  at 
once." 

"  I  am  quite  ready.  I  don't  want  to  lose  any  further 
time." 


198  A  WOMAN   INTERVENES. 

So  John  Kenyon  departed,  and  was  soon  on  his  way 
to  the  North,  with  a  list  of  china  manufactories  in  his 
note-book. 

That  afternoon  Wentworth  got  the  letters  off  by  the 
American  mail,  and  he  felt  that  they  were  doing 
business  as  rapidly  as  could  be  expected.  Next 
morning  there  was  a  letter  for  John  Kenyon  addressed 
to  the  care  of  Wentworth,  and  by  a  later  mail  there 
came  a  letter  to  Wentworth  himself  from  John,  who 
had  reached  his  first  district  and  had  had  an  interview 
already  with  the  manager  of  the  works.  He  found 
the  mineral  was  all  he  had  expected,  and  they  would 
be  glad  to  take  a  certain  quantity  each  year  at  a 
specified  rate.  This  letter  Wentworth  filed  away  with 
a  smile  of  satisfaction,  and  then  he  began  again  to 
wonder  why  Adam  Brand,  representing  such  a  well- 
known  manufactory,  should  have  written  a  deliberate 
falsehood.  Before  he  had  time  to  fathom  this  mystery, 
the  office-boy  announced  that  a  gentleman  wished  to 
see  him,  and  handed  Wentworth  a  card  which  bore 
the  name  of  William  Longworth.  Wentworth  arched 
his  eyebrows  as  he  looked  at  it. 

"Ask  the  gentleman  to  step  in,  please,"  he  said  ;  and 
the  gentleman  stepped  in. 

"How  are  you,  Mr.  Wentworth?  I  suppose  you 
remember  me,  although  I  did  not  see  much  of  you  on 
board  the  steamer." 

"  I  remember  you  perfectly,"  replied  Wentworth. 
"  Won't  you  sit  down  ?  " 

"Thank  you.  I  did  not  know  where  to  find  Mr. 
Kenyon,  and  so,  being  aware  that  both  of  you  were 
interested  in  this  mica-mine,  I  called  to  see  you  with 
reference  to  it." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  199 

"Indeed!  I  understood  Mr.  Kenyon  to  say  that  he 
had  called  upon  you,  and  that  you  had  decided  to 
have  nothing  to  do  with  it." 

"  I  hardly  think  he  was  justified  in  saying  anything 
quite  so  definite.  I  got  from  him  such  particulars  as 
he  cared  to  give.  He  is  not  a  very  communicative 
man  at  the  best,  but  he  told  me  something  about  it, 
and  I  have  been  thinking  over  his  proposal.  I  have 
now  concluded  to  help  you  in  this  matter,  if  you  care 
to  have  my  aid.  Perhaps,  however,  things  have  got  to 
such  a  stage  that  you  do  not  wish  any  assistance?  " 

"On  the  contrary,  we  have  done  very  little.  Mr. 
Kenyon  is  just  now  among  the  china  manufactories  in 
the  North,  finding  out  what  demand  there  will  be  in 
England  for  this  mineral." 

"  Ah,  I  see.     Have  you  had  reports  from  him  yet  ?  " 

"  Nothing  further  than  a  letter  this  morning,  which 
is  very  satisfactory." 

"  There  is  no  question,  then,  about  the  mineral  being 
useful  in  the  china  trade  ?  " 

"  No  question  whatever." 

"  Well,  I  am  glad  of  that.  Now,  Mr.  Kenyon  spoke 
to  me  on  the  steamer  of  going  in  share  and  share  alike  ; 
that  is,  you  taking  a  third,  he  taking  a  third,  and  I 
taking  a  third.  We  did  not  go  very  minutely  into 
particulars,  but  I  suppose  we  each  share  the  expense 
in  the  same  way — the  preliminary  expenses,  I  mean?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Wentworth  ;  "  that  would  be  the  arrange- 
ment, I  imagine." 

"  Well,  have  you  the  authority  to  deal  with  me  in 
the  matter,  or  would  it  be  better  for  me  to  wait  until 
Kenyon  comes  back?  " 

"  We  can  settle  everything  here  and  now." 


200  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Very  good.  Would  you  have  any  objection  to  my 
seeing  the  papers  that  relate  to  the  mine  ?  I  should 
like  to  get  the  figures  of  the  output  as  nearly  as  possible, 
and  any  other  particulars  you  may  have  that  would 
enable  me  to  estimate  the  value  of  the  property.  Also 
I  should  like  to  see  a  copy  of  the  option,  or  the  original 
document  by  which  you  hold  the  mine." 

"  Certainly ;  I  shall  be  very  pleased  to  give  you  all 
the  information  in  my  power."  Wentworth  turned  to 
his  desk  and  wrote  for  a  few  moments,  then  blotted 
the  paper  he  had  been  writing,  and  handed  it  to  Long- 
worth.  "You  have  no  objection,  before  this  is  done, 
to  signing  this  document,  have  you?" 

Longworth  adjusted  his  one  eyeglass  and  looked  at 
the  paper,  which  read :  "  I  hereby  agree  to  do  my  best 
to  form  a  limited  liability  company  for  the  purpose 
of  taking  over  the  Ottawa  Mica-mine.  I  agree  to  pay 
my  share  of  the  expenses,  and  to  accept  one-third  of  the 
profits." 

"No,  I  don't  object  to  sign  this,  though  I  think  it 
should  be  a  little  more  definite.  I  think  it  should 
state  that  the  liability  I  incur  is  to  be  one-third  of  the 
whole  preliminary  expenses,  the  other  two-thirds  to  be 
paid  by  Kenyon  and  yourself ;  and  that,  in  return,  I 
am  to  get  one-third  of  the  profits,  the  other  two-thirds 
going  to  yourself  and  Kenyon.  I  think  it  should  also 
state  the  amount  of  the  capital  of  the  new  company  ; 
two  hundred  thousand  pounds  was  suggested,  if  I 
remember  rightly." 

"  Very  well,"  answered  Wentworth  ;  "  I  will  rewrite 
that  in  accordance  with  your  wishes." 

This  he  did,  and  Longworth,  again  adjusting  his 
eyeglass,  read  it. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES  201 

"  Now,"  he  said,  "  as  we  are  so  formal  about  the 
matter,  perhaps  it  would  be  as  well  for  you  to  give  me 
a  note  which  I  can  keep,  setting  forth  these  same  par- 
ticulars." 

"  Undoubtedly,"  said  Wentworth.  "  I  will  do  that. 
Probably  it  would  be  better  for  you  to  write  the  docu- 
ment to  suit  your  own  views,  and  I  will  sign  it." 

"  Oh  no,  not  at  all.  Write  whatever  is  embodied 
there,  so  that  you  will  have  one  paper  and  I  the  other." 

This  was  done. 

"  Now  then,"  said  Longworth,  "  when  does  your 
option  run  out?  " 

Wentworth  named  the  date. 

"  Who  is  the  owner  of  the  mine?" 

"  It  is  owned  by  the  Austrian  Mining  Company, 
headquarters  at  Vienna,  and  the  option  is  signed  by  a 
Mr.  Von  Brent,  of  Ottawa,  who  is  manager  of  the 
mine  and  one  of  the  owners." 

"You  are  perfectly  certain  that  he  has  every  right 
to  sell  the  mine?" 

"  Yes ;  Mr.  Kenyon's  lawyer  saw  to  that  while  he 
was  in  Ottawa." 

"  And  you  are  sure,  also,  that  your  option  is  a 
thoroughly  legal  instrument?" 

"  We  are  sure  of  that." 

"  Has  it  been  examined  by  a  London  solicitor?" 

"  It  has  been  submitted  to  a  Canadian  lawyer.  The 
bargain  was  made  in  Canada,  and  it  will  have  to  be 
carried  out  in  Canada,  under  the  laws  of  Canada." 

"Still,  don't  you  think  it  would  be  just  as  well  to 
get  the  opinion  of  an  English  lawyer  on  it  ?  " 

"  I  think  that  would  be  an  unnecessary  expense. 
However,  if  you  wish  to  have  that  done,  we  will  do  it." 


202  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"Yes;  I  think  we  shall  need  to  have  the  opinion  of 
a  good  lawyer  upon  it  before  we  submit  it  to  the 
stock-holders." 

"  Very  well,  I  will  have  it  done.  Is  there  any  one 
whom  you  wish  to  give  an  opinion  on  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  it  is  a  matter  of  indifference  to  me ;  your  own 
solicitor  would  do  as  well  as  anyone  else.  Perhaps, 
however,  it  will  be  better  to  have  a  legal  adviser  for 
the  Mica  Mining  Company,  Limited — we  shall  have  to 
have  one  as  we  go  on — and  it  might  be  as  well  to 
submit  the  document  to  whomever  we  are  going  to 
place  in  that  position.  It  will  not  increase  the  legal 
expenses  at  all,  or  at  least  only  a  very  trifling  amount. 
Have  you  anyone  to  suggest?  " 

"  I  have  not  thought  about  the  matter,"  said  Went- 
worth. 

"  Suppose  you  let  me  look  up  a  firm  who  will  answer 
our  purpose  ?  My  uncle  is  sure  to  know  the  right 
men,  and  that  will  be  something  towards  my  share  of 
forming  the  company." 

"  Very  good,"  said  Wentworth  ;  "  that  will  be  satis- 
factory to  me." 

"  Now,  there  is  a  good  deal  to  be  done  in  the  form- 
ing of  a  company,  and  it  is  going  to  take  three  men  a 
good  deal  of  time,  besides  some  expense.  What  do 
you  say  to  letting  me  look  up  offices?  " 

"  Do  you  think  it  is  necessary  to  have  offices  ?  " 

"  Oh,  certainly.  A  great  deal  depends,  in  this  sort 
of  thing,  on  appearances.  We  shall  need  to  get 
offices  in  a  good  locality." 

"To  tell  the  truth,  Mr.  Longworth,  Kenyon  and  I 
have  not  very  much  money,  and  we  do  not  want  to 
enter  into  any  expense  that  is  needless." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  203 

"  My  dear  sir,  it  is  not  needless.  This  business  is 
one  of  those  things  into  which,  if  you  go  boldly,  you 
win ;  while  if  you  go  gingerly,  on  the  economical  plan, 
you  lose  everything.  Of  course,  if  there  is  to  be  a 
scarcity  of  cash,  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  with  the 
scheme,  because  I  know  how  these  half-economically 
worked  affairs  turn  out.  I  have  seen  too  much  of 
them.  We  are  making  a  strike  for  sixty  thousand 
pounds  each.  That  is  a  sum  worth  risking  something 
for,  and,  if  you  will  believe  me,  you  will  not  get  it 
unless  you  venture  something  for  it." 

"  I  suppose  that  is  true." 

"  Yes,  it  is  very  true.  Of  course  I've  had  more 
experience  in  matters  of  this  kind  than  either  of  you, 
and  I  know  we  shall  have  to  get  good  offices,  with  a 
certain  prosperous  look  about  them.  People  are  very 
much  influenced  by  appearances.  Now,  if  you  like,  I 
will  see  to  getting  the  offices  and  to  engaging  a  solic- 
itor. Every  step  must  be  taken  under  legal  advice, 
otherwise  we  may  get  into  a  very  bad  tangle  and 
spend  a  great  deal  more  money  in  the  end." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Wentworth.  "  Is  there  anything 
else  you  can  suggest?  " 

"  Not  just  at  present ;  nothing  need  be  done  until 
Kenyon  comes  back,  and  then  we  can  have  a  meeting 
to  see  what  is  the  best  way  to  proceed." 

Longworth  then  looked  over  the  papers,  took  a  note 
of  some  things  mentioned  in  the  option,  and  finally 
said  : 

"  I  wish  you  would  get  these  papers  copied  for  me  ; 
I  suppose  you  have  someone  in  the  office  who  can 
do  it?" 

"  Yes," 


204  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"Then  just  have  duplicates  made  of  each  of  them. 
Good-morning,  Mr.  Wentworth." 

Wentworth  mused  for  a  few  moments  over  the 
unexpected  turn  affairs  had  taken.  He  was  very  glad 
to  get  the  assistance  of  Longworth  ;  the  name  itself 
was  a  tower  of  strength  in  the  City.  Then,  Kenyon's 
letter  from  the  North  was  encouraging.  Thinking  of 
the  letter  brought  the  writer  of  it  to  his  mind,  so  he 
took  a  telegraph-form  from  his  desk,  and  wrote  a 
message  to  the  address  given  on  the  letter  : 

"  Everything  right.  Longworth  has  joined  us,  and 
signed  papers  to  assist  in  forming  company." 

"  There,"  he  said,  as  he  sent  the  boy  out  with  the 
message,  "  that  will  cheer  up  old  John  when  he  gets 
it." 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

WHEN  John  Kenyon  returned  from  the  North  and 
entered  the  office  of  his  friend  Wentworth,  he  found 
that  gentleman  and  young  Longworth  talking  in  the 
outer  room. 

"  There's  a  letter  for  you  on  my  desk,"  said  Went- 
worth, after  shaking  hands  with  him.  "  I'll  be  there 
in  a  minute." 

Kenyon  entered  the  room  and  found  the  letter. 
Then  he  did  a  very  unbusinesslike  thing.  He  pressed 
the  writing  to  his  lips  and  placed  the  letter  in  his 
pocket-book.  This  act  deserves  mention  because  it  is 
an  unusual  thing  in  the  City.  As  a  general  rule,  City 
men  do  not  press  business  communications  to  their 
lips,  and  the  letter  John  had  received  was  entirely  a 
business  communication,  relating  only  to  the  mine, 
and  to  William  Longworth's  proposed  connection  with 
it.  He  wondered  whether  he  should  write  an  answer 
to  it  or  not. 

He  sat  down  at  Wentworth's  desk,  and  came  upon 
an  obstacle  at  the  very  beginning.  He  did  not  know 
how  to  address  the  young  woman.  Whether  to  say 
"  My  dear  Miss  Longworth,"  or  "  My  dear  madam," 
or  whether  to  use  the  adjective  "  dear  "  at  all,  was  a 
puzzle  to  him  ;  and  over  this  he  was  meditating  when 
Wentworth  came  bustling  in. 

205 


206  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Well,"  said  the  latter,  as  John  tore  into  small 
pieces  a  sheet  of  notepaper  and  threw  the  bits  into  the 
waste-basket,  "  how  have  you  got  on  ?  Your  letters 
were  very  short  indeed,  but  rather  to  the  point.  You 
seem  to  have  succeeded." 

"  Yes,  I  have  succeeded  very  well.  I  have  got  all 
the  figures  and  prices  and  everything  else  that  it  is 
necessary  to  have.  I  succeeded  with  everybody  ex- 
cept Brand,  who  wrote  that  letter  to  you.  I  cannot 
make  him  out  at  all.  He  would  give  me  no  informa- 
tion, and  he  managed  to  prevent  every  one  else  in  his 
works  from  giving  me  any.  He  pooh-poohed  the 
scheme — in  fact,  wouldn't  listen  to  it.  He  said  it  was 
not  usual  for  men  to  give  away  information  regarding 
their  business,  and  in  that,  of  course,  he  was  perfectly 
justified ;  but  when  I  tried  to  argue  with  him  as  to 
whether  this  mineral  was  used  in  his  manufactory  or 
not,  he  would  not  listen.  I  asked  him  what  he  used 
in  place  of  it,  but  he  would  not  tell.  All  in  all,  he  is 
a  most  extraordinary  man,  and  I  confess  I  do  not  un- 
derstand him." 

"  Oh,  it  doesn't  matter  about  him  in  the  least.  I  was 
speaking  with  Longworth  just  now  about  that  curious 
letter  of  his,  and  he  agrees  with  me  that  it  makes  no 
difference.  He  says,  what  is  quite  true,  that  in  every 
business  you  find  some  man  with  whom  it  is  difficult 
to  deal." 

"  Yes,  that  is  so ;  but,  still,  he  either  uses  this  sub- 
stance or  he  does  not.  I  can  understand  a  man  who 
says,  '  We  have  no  need  for  that,  because  we  use 
another  material.'  But  that  is  one  of  the  things 
Brand  does  not  say." 

"Well,  it  is  not  worth  while  talking  about  him.     By 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  207 

the  way,  you  have  all  your  figures  and  notes  with  you, 
I  suppose  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  have  everything." 

"  Very  well.  Leave  them  with  me,  and  I  will  get 
them  into  some  sort  of  shape.  Longworth  says  we 
shall  have  to  have  everything  printed  relating  to  this — 
your  statements  and  all." 

"  That  will  cost  a  great  deal  of  money,  will  it  not  ? 

"  Oh,  not  very  much.  It  is  necessary,  it  seems. 
We  must  have  printed  matter  to  give  to  those  who 
make  application  for  information.  It  would  be  im- 
possible to  explain  personally  to  everybody  who 
inquires,  and  to  show  them  these  documents." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so." 

"  Longworth  was  just  now  speaking  to  me  about 
offices  he  has  seen,  and  he  is  anxious  to  secure  them  at 
once.  He  is  attending  to  that  matter." 

"  Do  you  think  we  need  an  office  ?  Why  could  not 
the  business  be  transacted  here  ;  or  perhaps  a  room 
might  be  had  on  this  floor  that  would  do  perfectly 
well ;  then  we  should  be  close  together,  and  able  to 
communicate  when  necessary." 

"  Longworth  seems  to  think  differently.  He  says 
you  must  impress  the  public,  and  so  he  is  going  in  for 
fine  offices." 

"  Yes  ;  but  who  is  to  pay  for  them  ?  " 

"  Why,  we  must,  of  course — you  and  Longworth 
and  myself." 

"  Have  you  the  money?" 

"  I  have  a  certain  amount.  I  think  we  shall  have 
enough  to  see  it  through,  and  if  not,  we  can  easily  get 
it,  and  settle  up  when  we  finish  the  business." 

"  Well,  you  know  I  have  no  money  to  spare." 


208  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Oh,  I  know  that  well  enough.  Perhaps  Longworth 
will  see  us  through,  for,  as  he  says,  this  sort  of  thing 
can  be  spoilt  by  niggardliness.  He  has  known,  and  so 
have  I,  many  a  business  go  to  pieces  because  of  false 
economy." 

"  But  it  seems  to  me  all  this  is  needless  expense. 
We  only  want  to  get  a  few  moneyed  men  interested  in 
our  project,  and  if  they  are  sensible  men,  they  will  look 
to  the  probability  of  getting  a  good  dividend,  not  at 
fine  offices." 

"  Very  well,  John  ;  you  get  the  men,  and  I  shall  be 
satisfied.  I  am  sure  I  am  as  anxious  to  do  this  cheaply 
as  you  are.  If  you  think  you  can  go  out  and  interest 
a  dozen  or  twenty-four  men  in  the  City,  and  persuade 
them  to  go  in  for  our  mine,  I  will  cry  '  Halt ! '  on  our 
part  until  you  do  it.  Will  you  try  that  ?  " 

Kenyon  pondered  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  said : 

"  I  suppose  that  would  be  rather  a  difficult  thing  to 
do." 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  way  it  strikes  me.  I  do  not  know 
to  whom  I  could  go.  Longworth  is  a  good  man,  and 
we  have  gone  to  him.  Now  it  seems  to  me,  having  got 
his  assistance,  the  least  we  can  do,  unless  we  are  pre- 
pared to  produce  the  men  ourselves  forthwith,  is  to  act 
as  he  wishes." 

"  Yes,  I  quite  appreciate  that,  and  I  also  grasp  the 
fact  that  too  close  economy  is  not  the  best  thing;  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  George,  how  are  we  to  perform  our 
part  with  Longworth  ?  His  ideas  of  economy  and 
yours  may  be  vastly  different.  What  is  a  mere  trifle 
to  him  would  bankrupt  us  !  " 

"  I  know  that.  Well,  he  is  coming  here  this  after- 
noon at  three.  Suppose  you  manage  to  be  in  then, 


A  WOMAN   INTERVENES.  209 

and  talk  with  him.  Meanwhile,  I  will  go  over  the 
papers  and  get  them  into  tabulated  form." 
"Very  well;  I  shall  be  here  at  three  o'clock." 
It  will  hardly  be  credited  that  a  business  man  like 
John  Kenyon  spent  most  of  the  time  between  that  hour 
and  three  o'clock  trying  to  compose  a  business  letter 
in  answer  to  the  business  communication  he  had 
received  that  morning.  Yet  such  was  the  astonishing 
fact,  and  it  showed,  perhaps  more  than  anything  else, 
how  utterly  unfit  Mr.  John  Kenyon  was  to  join  in  a 
commercial  undertaking  in  a  city  of  hard-headed  peo- 
ple. At  last,  however,  the  letter  was  posted,  and 
Kenyon  hurried  away  to  be  in  time  for  his  three-o'clock 
appointment.  He  found  Wentworth  and  young  Mr. 
Longworth  together,  the  latter  looking  more  like  a 
young  man  from  the  West  End  than  a  typical  City 
business  man.  His  monocle  was  in  his  eye,  and  it 
shone  on  Kenyon  as  he  entered.  It  was  evident 
something  was  troubling  Wentworth,  and  it  was 
equally  evident  that  the  something,  whatever  it  was, 
was  not  troubling  young  Longworth. 

"You  are  late,  John,"  was  Wentworth's  greeting. 
"  A  little,"  he  answered.     "  I  was  detained." 
There  was  silence  for  a  few  moments,  and  Went- 
worth appeared  to  be  waiting  for  Longworth  to  speak. 
At  last  Longworth  said  : 

"  I  have  succeeded  in  getting  very  nice  offices  indeed, 
and  I  was  telling  Mr.  Wentworth  about  them.  You 
see,  it  is  not  very  easy  to  engage  offices  in  a  good  part 
of  the  City  by  the  week.  They  do  not  care  to  let  them 
in  that  way,  because,  while  a  weekly  tenant  is  occupy- 
ing them,  somebody  else,  who  wants  them  for  a  longer 
time,  might  have  to  be  sent  away." 


210  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Yes,"  said  Kenyon  in  a  non-committal  manner. 

"  Well,  I  have  got  just  the  offices  we  need,  and  have 
now  set  the  men  at  putting  gilt  lettering  on  the 
windows.  I  have  taken  the  offices  in  the  name  of 
'  The  Canadian  Mica  Mining  Company,  Limited,' 
which  I  shall  have  on  the  plate-glass  windows  in  a  very 
short  time.  Now  Mr.  Wentworth  here  seems  to  think 
the  offices  rather  expensive.  I  have  told  him  before 
what  my  ideas  are  in  the  matter  of  expense.  Perhaps, 
before  anything  more  is  said  on  the  subject,  we  ought 
to  go  and  look  at  the  rooms." 

"  How  much  are  they  a  week  ?  "  asked  Kenyon. 

Young  Mr.  Longworth  did  not  answer,  because  at 
that  moment  his  monocle  fell  out  of  its  place  and  had 
to  be  adjusted  again  ;  but  Wentworth  jerked  out  the 
two  words,  "  Thirty  pounds." 

"  A  week  f  "  cried  John. 

"  Yes,"  said  Longworth,  after  having  succeeded  in 
replacing  the  round  bit  of  glass — "  yes  ;  Mr.  Went- 
worth seems  to  think  that  is  rather  high,  but  I  defy 
him  to  get  as  fine  offices  in  the  City  for  anything  less 
in  price.  It  is  merely  ten  pounds  a  week  for  each  of 
us.  However,  before  you  can  judge  of  their  dearness 
or  cheapness,  you  must  see  them.  If  you  ask  me,  I 
think  they  are  a  bargain." 

"Very  well,"  said  Kenyon.  "Have  you  the  time, 
George  ?  " 

Wentworth,  without  answering,  shoved  the  papers 
into  his  desk  and  closed  it.  The  three  young  men 
went  out  together,  and  after  a  short  walk  came  to  the 
large  plate-glass  windows,  where  a  man  on  a  ladder 
was  chalking  the  words  "The  Canadian  Mica  Mining 
Company,  Limited,"  in  a  semicircle. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  211 

"You  see,"  said  Longworth,  "this  is  one  of  the  very 
best  situations  in  the  City.  As  I  said  before,  I  doubt 
if  you  could  get  anything  like  it  for  the  price." 

They  could  not  deny  the  excellence  of  the  position, 
or  that  the  plate-glass  looked  very  imposing  and  the 
gilt  letters  exceedingly  fine  ;  but  the  cost  of  this  run- 
ning on  perhaps  for  two  or  three  months  seemed  to 
appal  them. 

"  Come  inside,"  said  young  Longworth  suavely  ;  "  I 
am  sure  you  will  be  pleased  with  the  rooms  we  have. 
You  see,"  he  said,  entering  and  nodding  to  the  carpen- 
ters who  were  at  work  there,  "  this  will  be  the  front 
office,  where  the  public  is  received.  Here  you  have 
room  for  an  accountant  or  two  and  your  secretary. 
The  back-room,  which  you  see  is  also  well  lighted,  is 
just  the  spot  for  our  people  to  meet.  We  will  get  in  a 
large  long  table  here,  and  a  number  of  chairs,  and 
there  we  are — capital  directors'  room." 

"  Does  the  thirty  pounds  a  week  include  the  furnish- 
ing of  the  place  ?  "  asked  Kenyon. 

"  Oh,  bless  you,  no  !  You  surely  couldn't  expect 
that  ?  We  shall  have  to  put  in  the  furniture,  of  course." 

"  And  do  you  intend  to  put  in  desks  and  counter 
and  everything  of  that  sort  here  ?  " 

"  Of  course.  Beside  that,  we  will  get  in  a  large  safe. 
There  is  nothing  like  a  ponderous  safe,  with  the  name 
of  the  company  in  gilt  letters  on  it,  for  impressing  the 
general  public." 

"  And  how  much  is  the  furnishing  of  this  place  to 
cost  ?" 

"  Really,  I  don't  know  that.  The  men  I  have  engaged 
will  do  it  very  reasonably.  They  have  done  work  for 
me  before.  You  don't  get  it  done  any  cheaper  by 


212  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

haggling  about  the  price  beforehand — I've  found  that 
out." 

"  I  do  not  see  how  we  are  to  pay  our  share  of  all 
this,"  said  Kenyon. 

"  Nothing  easier,  my  boy  ;  I've  arranged  all  that.  I 
will  pay  them  my  third  in  cash  when  it  is  finished,  and 
they  have  agreed  to  wait  three  months  for  the  re- 
mainder. By  that  time  you  will  have  sixty  thousand 
pounds  each,  and  a  little  bill  like  this  will  be  nothing 
to  you." 

Kenyon  looked  grave. 

"  It's  a  little  like  counting  your  chickens,"  he  said. 

"  Ah,  they'll  hatch  all  right,"  laughed  Longworth. 
And  then  his  eyeglass  dropped  out. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

IT  is  never  wise  to  despise  an  enemy,  no  matter  how 
humble  he  may  be.  The  mouse  liberated  the  enmeshed 
lion.  Jennie  Brewster  should  have  been  thankful  that 
circumstances,  working  in  her  favor,  had  rendered  her 
account  of  the  discoveries  she  made  about  the  mines 
unnecessary.  She  was  saved  the  bitterness  of  acknowl- 
edged defeat  by  the  cable  despatch  that  awaited  her 
at  Queenstown,  telling  her  not  to  forward  her  informa- 
tion. The  letter  she  received  from  the  editor  of  the 
Argus  later  explained  the  cable  message.  The  Argus 
had  obtained  from  a  different  source  what  purported  to 
be  an  account  of  the  reports  on  the  mines,  and  this 
had  peen  published.  If  Jennie's  contribution  corrobo- 
rated this  article,  it  was  unnecessary ;  if  it  contradicted 
what  had  been  already  published,  then,  of  course,  it 
was  equally  unavailable,  for  the  Argus  was  a  paper  that 
never  stultified  itself  by  acknowledging  an  error.  So 
the  editor  sent  his  correspondent  a  short  cable  message 
to  save  the  expense  of  a  long  and  costly  despatch  that 
would  have  been  useless  when  it  reached  the  Argus 
office. 

Instead,  however,  of  being  grateful  to  the  stars  that 
fought  so  well  for  her,  Jennie  became  bitterly  resentful 
against  Fleming,  and  hardly  less  so  against  Miss  Long- 

213 


214  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

worth.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the  meddling  politician's 
interference,  Wentvvorth  would  never  have  discovered 
who  she  was,  and  the  whole  train  of  humiliating  events 
that  followed  would  not  have  taken  place.  She  would 
have  parted  with  Wentworth  on  a  friendly  basis,  at 
least.  She  was  forced,  reluctantly,  to  admit  to  herself 
that  she  liked  Wentworth  better  than  any  young  man 
she  had  ever  before  met ;  and  now  that  there  was  little 
chance  of  seeing  him  again,  her  regret  had  become 
more  and  more  poignant  as  time  went  on.  He  had 
told  her  all  his  hopes  about  the  mica-mine  before  their 
unfortunate  disaster,  and  had  taken  her  into  his  confi- 
dence in  a  way,  she  felt  sure,  he  had  never  done  with 
any  other  woman.  She  saw  the  earnest  look  in  his 
honest  eyes  whenever  she  closed  her  own,  and  this 
look  haunted  her  day  and  night,  alternating  with  the 
remembrance  of  that  gaze  of  incredulous  reproach  with 
which  he  regarded  her  when  he  discovered  her  mission, 
which  was  even  harder  to  bear  than  the  recollection  of 
his  confidence  and  esteem. 

And  the  sting  of  the  situation  lay  in  the  fact  that  it 
had  all  been  so  useless  and  unnecessary.  She  had 
wounded  her  friend  and  humiliated  herself  all  for 
nothing.  The  rapid  changes  that  had  taken  place  in 
the  newspaper  office  since  she  left,  had  rendered  her 
sacrifices  futile,  and  while  she  had  buoyed  herself  up  on 
shipboard  by  holding  that  she  was  merely  doing  her 
duty  to  her  employers,  even  that  consolation  had  been 
made  naught  by  the  editor's  letter. 

Thus  it  ever  is  in  that  kaleidoscopic,  gigantic  and 
fascinating  lottery,  the  modern  press.  The  sensation 
for  which  an  editor  to-day  would  sell  his  soul,  is  to- 
morrow worthless.  The  greatest  fool  in  the  office  will 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  215 

sometimes  stumble  stupidly  upon  the  most  important 
news  of  the  day,  while  the  cleverest  reporter  may  be 
baffled  in  his  constant  fight  against  time,  for  the  paper 
goes  to  press  at  a  certain  hour,  after  that,  effort  is  useless. 
The  conductor  of  a  great  paper  is  like  the  driver  of  a 
Roman  chariot ;  he  needs  a  cool  head  and  a  strong 
arm,  with  a  clear  eye  that  peers  into  the  future,  and 
that  pays  little  heed  to  the  victims  of  the  whirling 
scythe-blades  at  the  hub.  He  may  overturn  a  Govern- 
ment or  be  himself  thrown,  by  an  unexpected  jolt,  un- 
der the  wheels.  The  fiery  steeds  never  stop,  and  when 
one  driver  drops  the  reins,  another  grasps  them,  to  be 
in  turn  lost  and  forgotten  in  the  mad  race,  wherein 
never  glance  is  cast  to  the  rear.  The  best  brains  in  the 
country  are  called  into  requisition,  squeezed,  and  flung 
aside.  With  a  lavish  but  indiscriminating  hand  are 
thrown  broadcast,  fame  and  dishonor,  riches  and  dis- 
aster. Unbribable  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  word, 
the  press  will,  for  the  accumulation  of  the  smallest 
coins  of  the  realm,  exaggerate  a  cholera  scare  and  par- 
alyze the  business  of  a  nation  ;  then  it  will  turn  upon 
a  corrupt  Government  and  rend  it,  although  millions 
might  be  made  by  taking  another  course.  It  is  the 
terror  of  scoundrels  and  the  despair  of  honest  men. 

Jennie  Brewster,  in  the  midst  of  her  unavailing  re- 
grets, clenched  her  little  fist  when  she  thought  of  Flem- 
ing. It  is  both  customary  and  consoling  to  place  the 
blame  on  other  shoulders  than  our  own.  Human  na- 
ture is  such  an  erring  quantity,  that  usually  we  can 
find  a  scapegoat  among  our  fellow-beings,  who  can  be 
made  responsible  for  any  misdeeds  or  failings  which 
are  so  much  a  part  of  ourselves  that  they  escape  recog- 
nition. If  Fleming  had  only  attended  his  own  busi- 


216  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

ness,  as  a  man  should,  Wentworth  would  never  have 
known  that  Jennie  wrote  for  the  Argus,  and  Jennie 
might  have  had  a  friend  in  London  who  would  have 
added  that  spice  of  interest  to  her  visit  which  usually 
accompanies  the  friendship  of  an  agreeable  young  man 
for  a  girl  so  pretty  and  fascinating. 

Fleming  put  up  at  the  hotel  that  Jennie  had  at  first 
selected,  and  now  and  then  she  met  him  in  the  exten- 
sive halls  of  the  great  building ;  but  she  invariably 
passed  him  with  the  dignity  of  an  offended  queen, 
although  the  unfortunate  man  always  took  off  his  hat, 
and  once  or  twice  paused  as  if  about  to  speak  with 
her. 

On  the  last  day  of  her  stay  at  the  hotel,  she  met 
Fleming  oftener  than  ever  before  ;  but  it  did  not  occur 
to  her  that  the  unhappy  politician  was  lying  in  wait 
for  her,  never  being  able  to  muster  up  enough  courage 
to  address  her  when  his  opportunity  came.  At  last  a 
note  was  brought  up  to  the  room  she  occupied,  from 
Fleming,  in  which  he  said  that  he  would  like  to  have 
a  few  moments'  conversation  with  her,  and  would  wait 
for  a  reply. 

"  Tell  him  there  is  no  reply,"  said  the  girl  to  the 
messenger. 

It  is  sometimes  well  to  know  the  point  of  view, 
even  of  an  enemy,  but  Jenny  was  too  angry  with  him 
to  think  of  that.  However,  a  politician,  to  be  suc- 
cessful, must  not  be  easily  rebuffed,  and  as  a  rule  he  is 
not. 

Fleming,  when  he  got  the  curt  reply  to  his  note, 
threw  away  his  cigar,  put  on  his  hat,  took  the  lift, 
passed  through  the  long  corridor,  and  knocked  at 
Jennie's  door. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  217 

The  girl's  amazement  at  seeing  her  enemy  there  was 
so  great  that  the  obvious  act  of  shutting  the  door  in 
his  face  did  not  occur  to  her  until  it  was  too  late,  and 
Fleming  had  carelessly  placed  his  large  foot  in  the 
way  of  its  closing. 

"  How  dare  you  come  here,  when  I  refused  to  see 
you?  "  she  cried,  with  her  eyes  ablaze. 

"  Oh,  I  understood  the  messenger  to  say  I  might 
come,"  replied  the  untruthful  politician.  "  You  see, 
it's  not  a  personal  matter,  but  the  very  biggest  sensa- 
tion that  ever  went  under  the  ocean  on  a  cable,  and  I 

thought Well,  you  know,  I  felt  I  had  done  you 

— quite  unintentionally — a  mean  trick  on  board  the 
Caloric,  and  this  was  kind  of  to  make  up  for  it,  don't 
you  know." 

"  You  can  never  repair  what  you  have  done." 

"Oh  yes,  I  can,  Jennie." 

"  I  shall  be  obliged  to  you  if  you  remember  that  my 
name  is  Miss  Brewster,"  said  the  girl,  drawing  herself 
up ;  but  Fleming  noticed,  with  relief,  that  since  he  had 
mentioned  the  sensation  she  had  made  no  motion  to 
close  the  door,  while  the  eagerness  of  the  newspaper 
woman  was  gradually  replacing  the  anger  with  which 
she  had  at  first  regarded  him. 

"All  right,  Miss  Brewster.  I  meant  no  disrespect, 
you  know  ;  and  honestly,  I  would  rather  give  you  a 
big  item  than  anybody  else." 

"  Oh,  you're  very  honest — I  know  that." 

"  Well,  I  am,  you  know,  Jen 1  mean  Miss 

Brewster ;  although  I  tell  you  it  don't  pay  in  politics 
any  more  than  in  the  newspaper  business." 

"  If  you  only  came  to  speak  like  that  of  the  news- 
papers, I  don't  care  to  listen  to  you," 


218  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Wait  a  minute.  I  don't  blame  you  for  being 
angry— 

"  Thank  you." 

"  But,  all  the  same,  if  you  let  this  item  get  away, 
you'll  be  sorry.  I'm  giving  you  the  straight  tip.  I 
could  get  more  gold  than  you  ever  saw  for  giving  this 
snap  away,  yet  here  you're  treating  me  as  if  I 
were " 

"A  New  York  politician.  Why  do  you  come  to  me 
with  this  valuable  piece  of  information?  Just  because 
you  have  a  great  regard  for  me,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"That's  right.     That's  it  exactly." 

"  I  thought  so.  Very  well.  There  is  a  parlor  on 
this  floor  where  we  can  talk  without  being  interrupted. 
Come  with  me." 

Jennie  closed  the  door  and  walked  down  the  passage, 
followed  by  Fleming,  who  smiled  with  satisfaction  at 
his  own  tact  and  shrewdness,  as,  indeed,  he  had  every 
right  to  do. 

In  the  deserted  sitting-room  was  a  writing-table,  and 
Jennie  sat  down  beside  it,  motioning  Fleming  to  a 
chair  opposite  her. 

"  Now,"  she  said,  drawing  some  paper  towards  her, 
and  taking  up  a  pen,  "  what  is  this  important  bit  of 
news?  " 

"  Well,  before  we  begin,"  replied  Fleming,  "  I  would 
like  to  tell  you  why  I  interfered  on  shipboard,  and  let 
that  Englishman  know  who  you  were." 

"  Never  mind  that.  Better  let  it  rest."  There  was 
a  flash  of  anger  in  the  girl's  eye,  but,  in  spite  of  it, 
Fleming  continued.  He  was  a  persistent  man. 

"  But  it  has  some  bearing  on  what  I'm  going  to  tell 
you.  When  I  saw  you  on  board  the  Caloric,  my  heart 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  219 

went  down  into  my  boots.  I  thought  the  game  was 
up,  and  that  you  were  after  me.  I  was  bound  to  find 
out  whether  the  Argus  knew  anything  of  my  trip  or 
not,  and  whether  it  had  put  you  on  my  track.  Only 
five  men  in  New  York  knew  of  my  journey  across,  and 
as  a  good  deal  depended  on  secrecy,  I  had  to  find  out 
in  some  way  whether  you  were  there  for  the  purpose 
of — well,  you  know.  So  I  spoke  to  the  Englishman, 
and  raised  a  hornet's  nest  about  my  ears ;  but  I  soon 
saw  you  had  no  suspicion  of  what  I  was  engaged  in, 
otherwise  I  would  have  had  to  telegraph  to  certain 
persons  then  in  London,  and  scatter  them." 

"  Dear  me !  And  what  villainy  were  you  concoct- 
ing? Counterfeiting?" 

"No;  politics.  Just  as  bad,  I  suppose  you  think. 
Now,  do  you  know  where  Crupper  is?" 

"  The  Boss  of  New  York  ?  I  heard  before  I  left 
that  he  was  at  Carlsbad  for  his  health." 

"  He  was  there,"  said  Fleming  mysteriously;  "but 
now " 

The  politician  solemnly  pointed  downwards  with 
his  forefinger. 

"  What !  Dead  ?  "  cried  Jennie,  the  ominous  motion 
of  Fleming's  finger  naturally  suggesting  what  all  good 
people  believed  to  be  the  arch-thief's  ultimate  destina- 
tion. 

"  No,"  said  Fleming,  laughing;  "  he's  in  this  hotel." 

"  Oh !  " 

"  Yes,  and  Senator  Smollet,  leader  of  the  Conscien- 
tious Party,  is  here  too,  although  you  don't  meet  them 
in  the  halls  as  often  as  you  do  me.  These  good  men, 
supposed  to.be  political  opponents,  are  lying  low  and 
saying  nothing." 


220  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  I  see.     And  they've  had  a  conference." 

"  Exactly.  Now,  it's  like  this."  Fleming  pulled  a 
sheet  of  paper  towards  him,  and  drew  on  it  an  oval. 
"That's  New  York.  We'll  call  it  a  pumpkin-pie,  if 
you  like,  the  material  of  which  it  is  composed  being 
typical  of  the  heads  of  its  conscientious  citizens.  Or 
a  pigeon-pie,  perhaps,  for  the  New  Yorker  is  made  to 
be  plucked.  Well,  look  here."  Fleming  drew  from  a 
point  in  the  centre  several  radiating  lines.  "  That's 
what  Crupper  and  Smollet  are  doing  in  London. 
They're  dividing  the  pie  between  the  two  parties." 

"  That's  very  interesting,  but  how  are  they  going  to 
deliver  the  pieces?" 

"  Simple  as  shelling  peas.  You  see,  our  great  pull 
is  the  conscientious  citizen — the  voter  who  wants  to 
vote  right,  and  for  a  good  man.  If  it  weren't  for  the 
good  men  as  candidates  and  the  good  men  as  voters, 
New  York  politics  would  be  a  pretty  uncertain  game. 
You  see,  the  so-called  respectable  element  in  both 
parties  is  our  only  hope.  Each  believes  in  his  party, 
thinks  his  crowd  is  better  than  the  other  fellow's,  so 
all  you  have  to  do  is  to  nominate  an  honest  man  to 
represent  each  party,  and  then  that  divides  what  they 
call  the  reputable  vote,  and  we  real  politicians  get  our 
man  in  between  the  two.  That's  all  there  is  in  New 
York  politics.  Well,  Senator  Smollet  threatened  not 
to  put  up  a  good  man  on  the  conscientious  ticket,  and 
that  would  have  turned  the  whole  unbribable  vote  of 
both  parties  against  us,  so  we  had  to  make  a  deal  with 
him,  and  throw  in  the  next  Presidential  election. 
Crupper's  no  hog;  he  knows  when  he's  had  plenty, 
and  New  York's  good  enough  for  him.  He  don't  care 
who  gets  the  Presidency." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  221 

"And  this  conference  has  been  held  ?" 

"  That's  right.     It  took  place  in  this  hotel." 

"  The  bargain  was  made,  I  suppose  ?  ' 

"  It  was.     The  pie  was  divided." 

"  And  you  didn't  get  a  slice  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon,  I  did  !  " 

"  Then,  why  do  you  come  to  me  and  tell  me  all  this 
—if  it's  true  ?  " 

Honest  indignation  shone  in  Fleming's  face. 

"//"it's  true?  Of  course  it's  true.  Why  do  I  come 
to  you?  Because  I  want  to  be  friendly  with  you, 
that's  why." 

Jennie,  nibbling  the  end  of  her  pen,  looked  thought- 
fully across  at  him  for  a  few  moments,  then  slowly 
shook  her  head. 

"  If  you  get  me  to  believe  that,  Mr.  Fleming,  I'll 
not  cable  a  word.  No,  I  must  have  an  adequate 
motive,  for  I  won't  cable  anything  I  don't  believe  to 
be  absolutely  true." 

"  I  assure  you,  Jennie " 

"  Wait  a  moment.  You  say  you  are  promised  your 
share  in  the  new  deal,  but  it  is  not  as  big  a  slice  as 
what  you  have  now.  It  stands  to  reason  that,  if 
Crupper  is  to  divide  with  Smollet's  rascals,  each  of 
Crupper's  rascals  must  content  himself  with  a  smaller 
piece.  The  greater  the  number  of  thieves,  the  smaller 
each  portion  of  booty.  You  didn't  see  that  when  you 
left  New  York,  and  therefore  you  were  afraid  of  pub- 
licity. You  see  it  now,  and  you  want  a  sensational 
article  published,  so  that  Senator  Smollet  will  be 
forced  to  deny  it,  or  further  arouse  the  suspicions  of 
the  honest  men  in  his  party.  In  either  case  publicity 
will  nullify  the  results  of  the  deal,  and  you  will  hold 


222  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

the  share  you  have.  As  you  didn't  know  any  of  the 
regular  London  representatives  of  the  New  York 
papers,  you  couldn't  trust  them  not  to  tell  on  you, 
and  so  you  came  to  me.  Now  that  I  see  a  good  sub- 
stantial selfish  motive  for  your  action,  I  am  ready  to 
believe  you." 

An  expression  of  dismay  at  first  overspread  the 
countenance  of  the  politician,  but  this  gave  way  to  a 
look  of  undisguised  admiration  as  the  girl  went  on. 

"  By  Jove,  Jennie  !  "  he  cried,  bringing  his  fist  down 
on  the  table  when  she  had  finished  ;  "  you're  wasted 
in  the  newspaper  business  ;  you  ought  to  be  a  poli- 
tician !  Say,  girl,  if  you  marry  me,  I'll  be  President  of 
the  United  States  yet." 

"  Oh  no,  you  wouldn't,"  said  Jennie,  quite  unabashed 
by  his  handsome,  if  excited,  proposal.  "  No  corrupt 
New  York  politician  will  ever  be  President  of  the 
United  States.  You  have  the  great  honest  bulk  of  the 
people  to  deal  with  there,  and  I'm  democrat  enough  to 
believe  in  them  when  it  comes  to  big  issues,  however 
much  you  may  befog  them  in  small ;  you  can't  fool  all 
people  for  all  time,  Mr.  Fleming,  as  a  man  who  was 
not  in  little  politics  once  said.  Every  now  and  then 
the  awakened  people  will  get  up  and  smash  you." 

Fleming  laughed  boisterously. 

"  That's  just  it,"  he  said.  "  It's  every  now  and  then. 
If  they  did  it  every  year  I  would  have  to  quit  politics. 
But  will  you  send  the  particulars  of  this  meeting  to 
the  Argus  without  giving  me  away  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  recognize  its  importance.  Now,  I  want  you 
to  give  me  every  detail — the  number  of  the  room  they 
met  in,  the  exact  hour,  and  all  that.  What  I  like  to 
get  in  a  report  of  a  secret  meeting  is  absolute  accuracy 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  223 

in  small  matters,  so  that  those  who  were  there  will 
know  it  is  not  guesswork.  That  always  takes  the 
backbone  out  of  future  denials.  I'll  mention  your 
name — 

"  Bless  my  soul,  don't  do  that !  " 

"  I  must  say  you  were  present." 

"  Why?" 

"  Why?  Dear  me  !  you  can't  be  so  stupid  as  not  to 
see  that,  if  your  name  is  left  out,  suspicion  will  at  once 
point  to  you  as  the  divulger?" 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  that  is  so." 

"And  this  man  is  a  ruler  in  one  of  the  greatest  cities 
in  the  world !  Go  on,  Mr.  Fleming  ;  who  else  was 
there  besides  Crupper,  Smollet,  and  yourself  ?  " 

The  account — two  columns  and  a  half — was  a  bomb- 
shell in  political  New  York  the  morning  it  appeared  in 
the  Argus.  Senator  Smollet  cabled  from  Paris  that 
there  wasn't  a  word  of  truth  in  it,  that  he  wasn't  in 
London  on  the  date  mentioned,  and  had  never  seen 
Crupper  there  or  elsewhere.  Crupper  cabled  from 
Carlsbad  that  he  was  ill,  and  had  not  been  out  of  bed 
for  a  month.  He  would  sue  the  Argus  for  libel, 
which,  by  the  way,  he  never  did.  The  reporters 
flocked  to  meet  Fleming  when  his  steamer  came  in, 
but  of  course  he  knew  nothing  about  it ;  he  had  been 
across  the  ocean  solely  on  private  business  that  had 
no  connection  with  politics.  He  knew  nothing  of 
Crupper's  whereabouts,  but  he  knew  one  thing,  which 
was  that  Crupper  was  too  honest  and  honorable  a  man 
to  traffic  with  the  enemy. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  denials,  the  report  bore 
the  marks  of  truth  on  its  face,  and  everybody  believed 
it,  although  many  pretended  not  to.  The  division  of 


224  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

the  spoils  aroused  the  greatest  consternation  and 
indignation  among  Crupper's  own  following,  and  a 
deputation  went  over  to  see  the  "  old  man." 

Meanwhile,  the  Argus,  with  much  dignity  of  diction, 
explained  that  it  stood  for  the  best  interests  of  the 
people,  and  in  the  people's  cause  was  fearless.  It 
defied  all  and  sundry  to  bring  libel  suits  if  they  wanted 
to ;  it  was  prepared  to  battle  for  the  people's  rights. 
And  its  circulation  went  up  and  up,  its  many  wee 
presses  being  taxed  to  their  utmost  in  supplying  the 
demand.  Thus  are  the  truly  good  rewarded. 

A  great  newspaper  is  as  lavishly  generous  as  a 
despotic  monarch,  to  those  who  serve  it  well,  and  the 
cheque  which  Jennie  cashed  when  Lady  Willow  ac- 
companied her  to  the  City  lined  her  purse  with  bank- 
notes to  a  fulness  that  receptacle  had  never  known 
before. 

After  a  few  weeks  with  Lady  Willow,  Jennie  seemed 
to  tire  of  the  frivolities  of  society,  and  even  of  the 
sedate  company  of  the  good  lady  with  whom  she 
lived.  She  announced  that  she  was  going  to  Paris  for 
a  week  or  two,  but,  owing  to  uncertainty  of  address, 
her  letters  were  not  to  be  forwarded.  She  merely  took 
a  hand-bag,  leaving  the  rest  of  her  luggage  with  Lady 
Willow,  who  was  thus  sustained  by  the  hope  that  her 
paying  guest  would  soon  return. 

Jennie  took  a  hansom  to  Charing  Cross,  but  instead 
of  departing  on  the  Paris  express,  she  hailed  a  .four- 
wheeler,  and,  giving  a  West  End  address  to  the  driver, 
entered  the  closed  vehicle. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

ON  the  big  plate-glass  windows  of  the  new  rooms 
there  soon  appeared,  in  gilt  letters  with  black  edges, 
the  words,  "  Canadian  Mica  Mining  Company,  Limited  : 
London  Offices."  But  the  workmen  who  were  finish- 
ing the  interior  were  not  so  quick  as  the  painters  and 
gilders.  The  new  offices  took  a  long  time  to  prepare, 
and  both  Kenyon  and  Wentworth  chafed  at  the  delay, 
because  Longworth  said  nothing  could  be  done  until 
the  rooms  were  occupied. 

"  It  is  like  this,  Longworth,"  said  Wentworth  to  him  : 
"  every  moment  is  of  value.  Time  is  running  on,  and 
we  have  not  for  ever  in  which  to  form  this  company." 

"And  you  must  remember,"  replied  young  Mr. 
Longworth,  gazing  reproachfully  at  him  through  his 
glittering  monocle,  "  that  I  am  equally  interested  in 
this  project  with  you.  It  is  just  as  much  to  my  inter- 
est to  save  time,  as  it  is  to  yours.  You  must-  not 
worry  about  the  matter,  Mr.  Wentworth  ;  everything 
is  all  right.  The  men  are  doing  a  good  job  for  us,  and 
it  will  not  be  long  before  their  work  is  completed.  As 
I  have  told  you  time  and  again,  a  great  deal  depends 
on  the  appearance  we  present  to  the  public.  We  have 
nearly  the  best  offices  in  the  City.  The  workmen 
have  certainly  taken  longer  than  I  expected  they 

225 


226  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

would,  but,  you  see,  they  have  a  great  deal  of  work 
on  hand.  When  we  get  this  started  it  will  not  take 
long.  I,  in  the  meanwhile,  have  not  been  idle.  At 
least  half  a  dozen  moneyed  men  are  ready  to  go  in 
with  us  on  this  project.  The  moment  the  offices  are 
finished  we  will  have  a  meeting  of  the  proposed  share- 
holders. If  they  subscribe  sufficiently  large  amounts 
— and  I  think  they  will — all  the  rest  is  a  mere  matter 
of  detail  which  our  solicitors  will  attend  to.  But  if 
you  imagine  that  you  and  Mr.  Kenyon  can  manage 
everything  better  than  I  am  doing,  you  are  perfectly 
at  liberty  to  go  ahead.  I  am  sure  I  have  no  desire 
to  monopolize  all  the  work.  What  have  you  done,  for 
instance  ?  What  has  Mr.  Kenyon  done  ?  " 

"  Kenyon,  as  I  think  you  know,  has  got  all  the  facts 
in  reference  to  the  demand  for  the  mineral,  and  I 
have  arranged  them.  We  have  had  everything  printed 
as  you  suggested,  and  the  papers  are  ready.  They 
were  delivered  at  my  office  to-day." 

"  Very  well,"  answered  young  Longworth  ;  "  we  are 
getting  on.  That  is  so  much  done  which  will  not 
have  to  be  done  over  again.  Perhaps  it  will  be  as 
well  to  send  me  some  of  the  printed  matter,  so  that 
I  can  give  it  to  the  men  I  was  speaking  of.  Mean- 
while, don't  worry  about  the  offices  ;  they  will  be  ready 
in  good  time." 

Wentworth  and  Kenyon  visited  the  new  offices  time 
and  again,  but  still  the  work  seemed  to  drag.  At  last 
Wentworth  said  very  sharply  to  the  foreman  : 

"  Unless  this  is  finished  by  next  Monday,  we  will 
have  nothing  to  do  with  it." 

The  foreman  seemed  astonished. 

"  I  understood  from  Mr.  Longworth,"  he  said,  "from 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  227 

whom  we  take  our  instructions,  that  there  was  no 
particular  hurry  about  this  job." 

"  Well,  there  is  a  particular  hurry.  We  must  be  in 
here  by  the  first  of  next  week,  and  if  you  have  not 
finished  by  that  time,  we  shall  have  to  come  in  with  it 
unfinished." 

"  In  that  case,"  said  the  foreman,  "  I  will  do  the  best 
I  can.  I  think  we  can  finish  it  this  week." 

And  finished  it  was  accordingly. 

When  Kenyon  entered  his  new  offices,  he  found 
them  rather  oppressive  for  so  modest  a  man  as  himself. 
Wentworth  laughed  at  his  doleful  expression  as  he 
viewed  the  general  grandeur  of  his  surroundings. 

"What  bothers  me,"  said  John,  "is  knowing  that 
all  this  has  to  be  paid  for." 

"  Ah,  yes,"  answered  Wentworth  ;  "  but  by  the  time 
the  debts  become  due  I  hope  we  shall  have  plenty  of 
money." 

"  I  must  confess  I  do  not  understand  Longworth  in 
this  matter.  He  seems  to  be  doing  nothing;  at  least, 
he  has  nothing  to  show  for  what  he  has  done,  and  he 
does  not  appear  to  realize  that  time  is  an  object  with 
us;  in  fact,  -  that  our  company-forming  has  really 
become  a  race  against  time." 

"  Well,  we  shall  see  very  shortly  what  he  is  going  to 
do.  I  have  sent  a  messenger  for  him  to  meet  us  here 
— he  ought  to  be  here  now — and  we  must  certainly 
push  things.  There  is  no  time  to  lose." 

"  Has  he  said  anything  to  you — he  talks  more  freely 
with  you  than  he  does  to  me — about  what  the  next 
move  is  to  be?" 

"  No  ;  he  has  said  nothing." 

"  Well,  don't  you  see  the  situation  in  which  we  stand  ? 


228  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

We  are  practically  doing  nothing — leaving  everything 
in  his  hands.  Now,  if  he  should  tell  us  some  fine  day 
that  he  can  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  our  project 
(and  I  believe  he  is  quite  capable  of  it),  here  we  are 
with  our  time  nearly  spent,  deeply  in  debt,  and  noth- 
ing done." 

"  My  dear  John,  what  a  brain  you  have  for  conjuring 
up  awful  possibilities !  Trust  me,  Longworth  won't 
act  in  the  way  you  suggest.  It  would  be  dishonorable, 
and  he  is,  so  far  as  I  know,  an  honorable  man  of 
business.  I  think  you  take  a  certain  prejudice  against 
a  person,  and  then  can  see  nothing  good  in  anything  he 
does.  Longworth  told  me  the  other  day  that  he  had 
five  or  six  people  who  are  ready  to  go  into  this  business 
with  us,  and  if  such  is  the  case  he  has  certainly  done 
his  share." 

"  Yes,  I  admit  that.     Did  he  give  you  their  names  ?  " 

"  No,  he  did  not." 

"The  thing  that  troubles  me  is  our  own  helpless- 
ness. We  seem,  in  some  way  or  other,  to  have  been 
shoved  into  the  background." 

"  So  far  from  that  being  the  case,"  said  Wentworth, 
"  Longworth  told  me  that,  if  .anything  suggested  itself 
to  us,  we  were  to  go  ahead  with  it.  He  asked  what 
you  had  done  and  what  I  had  done,  and  I  told  him. 
He  seemed  quite  anxious  that  we  should  do  every- 
thing we  could,  as  he  is  doing." 

"  Well,  but,  don't  you  see,  the  situation  is  this  :  if  we 
make  a  move  at  all,  we  may  do  something  of  which  he 
does  not  approve  ?  Haven't  you  noticed  that  when- 
ever I  suggest  anything,  or  whenever  you  suggest  any- 
thing, for  that  matter,  he  always  has  something  counter 
to  it  ?  And  I  don't  like  the  solicitors  he  has  engaged 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  229 

for  this  business.  They  are  what  is  known  as  "  shady  "  ; 
you  know  that  as  well  as  I  do." 

"  Bless  me,  John  !  then  suggest  something  yourself 
if  you  have  such  dark  suspicions  of  Longworth.  I'm 
sure  I'm  willing  to  do  anything  you  want  done. 
Suggest  something." 

Before  John  could  make  the  required  suggestion,  the 
messenger  Wentworth  had  sent  to  young  Longworth 
returned. 

"  His  uncle  says,  sir,"  began  the  messenger,  "  that 
Master  William  has  gone  to  the  North,  and  will  not 
be  back  for  a  week." 

"  A  week  !  "  cried  both  the  young  men  together. 

"  Yes,  sir,  a  week  was  what  he  said.  He  left  a  note 
to  be  given  to  either  of  you  if  you  called.  Here  is  the 
note,  sir." 

Wentworth  took  the  envelope  handed  to  him  and 
tore  it  open.  The  contents  ran  thus  : 

"  I  have  been  suddenly  called  away  to  the  North, 
and  may  be  gone  for  a  week  or  ten  days.  I  am  sorry 
to  be  away  at  this  particular  juncture,  but  as  it  is  not 
likely  that  the  men  will  have  the  offices  finished  before 
I  come  back,  no  great  harm  will  be  done.  Meanwhile 
I  shall  see  several  gentlemen  I  have  in  my  mind's  eye, 
men  that  seldom  come  to  London,  who  will  be  of  great 
service  to  us.  If  you  think  of  anything  to  forward  the 
mica-mine,  pray  go  on  with  it.  You  can  send  any 
letters  for  me  to  my  uncle,  and  I  shall  get  them.  As 
there  is  no  hurry  in  the  matter  of  time,  however,  I 
should  strongly  advise  that  nothing  be  done  until  my 
return,  when  we  can  all  go  at  the  business  with  a  will. 
"Yours  truly,  WILLIAM  LONGWORTH." 


230  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

When  Wentworth  had  finished  reading  this  letter, 
the  two  young  men  looked  at  each  other. 

"What  do  you  make  of  that  ?"  said  Kenyon. 

"  I'm  sure  I  do  not  know.  In  the  first  place,  he  is 
gone  for  a  week." 

"Yes;  that  one  thing  is  certain." 

"  Well  now,  John,  one  of  two  things  has  to  be  done. 
We  have  either  to  trust  this  Longworth,  or  we  have  to 
go  on  alone  without  him.  Which  is  it  to  be  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know,"  answered  Kenyon. 

"  But,  my  dear  fellow,  we  have  come  to  a  point  when 
we  must  decide.  You  are,  evidently,  suspicious  of 
Longworth.  What  you  say  really  amounts  to  this  : 
that  he,  for  some  reason  of  his  own,  which  I  confess  I 
cannot  see  or  understand,  desires  to  delay  forming  this 
company  until  it  is  too  late." 

"  I  didn't  say  that." 

"You  say  what  practically  amounts  to  that.  Either 
he  is  honest  or  he  is  not.  Now,  we  have  to  decide 
to-day,  and  here,  whether  we  are  going  to  ignore  him 
and  go  on  with  the  forming  of  the  company,  or  work 
with  him.  Unless  you  can  give  some  good  reason  for 
doing  otherwise,  I  propose  to  work  with  him.  I  think 
it  will  be  very  much  worse  if  he  leaves  us  now  than  if  he 
had  never  gone  into  it.  People  will  ask  why  he  left." 

"  Probably  he  wouldn't  leave,  even  if  you  wanted  him 
to  do  so.  He  has  your  signature  to  an  agreement,  and 
you  have  his." 

"  Certainly." 

"  I  do  not  see  how  we  can  help  ourselves." 

"  Then  I  think  these  suspicions  should  be  dropped, 
because  you  cannot  work  with  a  man  whom  you  sus- 
pect of  being  a  rascal." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  231 

"  I  quite  admit  of  the  justice  of  that,  so  I  shall  say 
nothing  more.  Meanwhile,  do  you  propose  to  wait 
until  he  comes  back?  " 

"  I  shall  write  him  to-night,  and  ask  him  what  he  in- 
tends to  do.  I  shall  tell  him,  as  I  have  told  him  before, 
that  time  is  pressing,  and  we  want  to  know  what  is 
being  done." 

"  Very  well,"  said  John  ;  "  I  will  wait  till  you  get  the 
answer  to  your  letter.  In  the  meantime,  I  do  not  see 
that  there  is  anything  to  do  but  occupy  this  gorgeous 
office  as  well  as  I  can,  and  wait  to  see  what  turns  up." 

"  That  is  my  own  idea.  I  think,  myself,  it  is  rather 
unfair  to  suspect  a  man  of  being  a  villain  when  he  has 
really  done  nothing  to  show  that  he  is  one." 

To  this  John  made  no  answer. 

The  next  day  Kenyon  occupied  the  new  offices,  and 
set  himself  to  the  task  of  getting  accustomed  to  them. 
The  first  day  a  few  people  dropped  in,  made  inquiries 
about  the  mine,  took  some  printed  matter,  and  gener- 
ally managed  to  ask  several  questions  to  which  Kenyon 
was  unable  to  reply.  On  the  second  day  a  number  of 
newspaper  men  called — advertising  canvassers,  most  of 
them,  who  left  cards  or  circulars  with  Kenyon,  showing 
that  unless  a  commercial  venture  was  advertised  in 
their  particular  papers  it  was  certain  not  to  be  a  suc- 
cess. One  very  swell  individual,  with  a  cast  of  coun- 
tenance that  betokened  a  frugal,  money-making,  and 
shrewd  race,  asked  Kenyon  for  a  private  interview. 
He  said  he  belonged  to  the  Financial  Field,  the  great 
newspaper  of  London,  which  was  read  by  every  investor 
both  in  the  City  and  in  the  country.  All  he  wanted 
was  some  particulars  of  the  mine. 

Had  the  company  been  formed  yet? 


232  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

No,  it  had  not. 

When  did  they  intend  to  go  to  the  public  ? 

That  Kenyon  could  not  say. 

What  was  the  peculiarity  about  the  mine  which  con- 
stituted its  recommendation  to  investors? 

Kenyon  said  the  full  particulars  would  be  found  in 
the  printed  sheet  he  handed  him,  and  with  profuse 
thanks  the  newspaper  man  put  it  in  his  pocket. 

How  had  the  mine  paid  in  previous  years  ? 

It  had  paid  a  small  dividend. 

On  what  amount  ? 

That  Kenyon  was  not  prepared  to  answer. 

How  long  had  it  been  in  operation  ? 

For  several  years. 

Had  it  ever  been  placed  on  the  London  market 
before  ? 

Not  so  far  as  Kenyon  was  aware. 

Who  was  at  present  interested  in  the  mine? 

That  Mr.  Kenyon  did  not  care  to  answer,  and  he 
further  stated,  so  far  as  giving  out  advertisements  was 
concerned,  he  was  not  yet  prepared  to  do  any  adver 
tising.  The  visitor,  who  had  taken  down  these  notes, 
said  his  object  was  not  to  get  an  advertisement,  but  to 
obtain  information  about  the  mine.  People  could 
advertise  in  his  paper  or  not,  as  they  chose.  The 
journal  was  such  a  well-known  medium  for  reaching 
investors  that  everyone  who  knew  his  business  adver- 
tised in  it  as -a  matter  of  course,  and  so  they  kept  no 
canvassers,  and  made  no  applications  for  advertise- 
ments. 

"The  chances  are,"  said  the  newspaper  man,  as  he 
took  his  leave,  "  that  our  editor  will  write  an  editorial 
on  this  mine,  and,  in  order  that  there  may  be  no  in- 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  233 

accuracy,  I  shall  bring  it  to  you  to  read,  and  shall  be 
very  much  obliged  if  you  will  correct  any  mistakes." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  do  so,"  returned  Kenyon,  as  the 
representative  of  the  Financial  Field  took  his  leave. 

The  newspaper  men  were  rather  hard  to  please,  and 
to  get  rid  of  ;  but  John  had  a  visitor  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  second  day  who  almost  caused  his  wits  to 
desert  him.  He  looked  up  from  his  desk  as  the  door 
opened,  and  was  astonished  to  see  the  smiling  face  of 
Edith  Longworth,  while  behind  her  came  the  old  lady 
who  had  been  an  occupant  of  the  carriage  when  John 
had  taken  his  drive  to  the  west. 

"  You  did  not  expect  to  see  me  here  among  the 
investors  who  have  been  calling  upon  you,  Mr.  Kenyon, 
did  you?" 

Kenyon  held  out  his  hand,  and  said : 

"  I  am  very  pleased  indeed  to  see  you,  whether  you 
come  as  an  investor  or  not." 

"  And  so  this  is  your  new  office  ?  "  she  cried,  looking 
round.  "  How  you  have  blossomed  out,  haven't  you  ? 
These  offices  are  as  fine  as  any  in  the  city." 

"Yes,"  said  John ;  "  they  are  too  fine  to  suit  me." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  see  why  you  should  not  have  handsome 
offices  as  well  as  anyone  else.  You  have  been  in  my 
father's  place  of  business,  of  course.  But  it  is  not  so 
grand  as  these  rooms." 

"  I  think  that  helps  to  show  the  absurdity  of  ours. 
Your  father's  house  is  an  old-standing  one,  and  this 
gives  us  an  air  of  new  riches  which,  I  must  confess,  I 
don't  like,  especially  as  we  have  not  the  riches." 

"Then,  why  did  you  agree  to  have  such  offices?  I 
suppose  you  had  something  to  say  about  them  ?  " 

"  Very  little,  I  must  own.     They  were  engaged  while 


234  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

I  was  in  the  North,  and  after  they  had  been  engaged, 
of  course  I  did  not  like  to  say  anything  against  them." 

"  Well,  and  how  is  the  mine  getting  on?  You  have 
not  applied  to  me  yet  to  fulfil  my  offer,  which  I  think 
was  a  very  fair  one." 

"  I  have  not  needed  to  do  so,"  said  Kenyon. 

"Ah,  then,  subscriptions  are  coming  in,  are  they? 
Where  is  the  list  ?  " 

"We  have  no  list  yet.  We  are  waiting  for  your 
cousin,  who  is  in  the  North." 

"  In  the  North  !  "  said  Edith,  with  her  eyes  open  wide. 
"  He  is  not  in  the  North  ;  he  is  in  Paris,  and  we  expect 
him  home  to-night." 

"  Oh,  indeed  !  "  said  John,  who  made  no  further  com- 
ment. 

"  Now,  where's  your  subscription-list?  Oh,  you  told 
me  you  have  none  yet.  Very  well  ;  this  sheet  of  paper 
will  do."  And  the  young  woman  drew  some  lines 
across  the  paper,  heading  it,  "The  Canadian  Mica- 
mine."  Then  underneath  she  wrote  the  name  Edith 
Longworth,  and  after  it — "  For  ten  thousand  pounds." 
"  There !  I  am  the  first  subscriber  to  the  new  com- 
pany ;  if  you  get  the  others  as  easily,  you  will  be  very 
fortunate." 

And,  before  John  could  thank  frer,  she  laughingly 
turned  to  her  companion,  and  said : 

"  We  must  go." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

WHEN  Wentworth  dropped  in  to  see  if  anything 
had  happened,  Kenyon  told  him  that  young  Long- 
worth  was  not  in  the  North  at  all,  but  in  Paris.  Went- 
worth pondered  over  this  piece  of  information  for  a 
moment,  and  said  : 

"  I  have  written  him,  but  have  received  no  answer. 
I  have  just  been  to  see  the  solicitors  and  have  told 
them  that  time  was  pressing  ;  that  we  must  do  some- 
thing. They  quite  agreed  it  was  desirable  some 
action  should  be  taken  at  once,  but,  of  course,  as  they 
said,  they  merely  waited  our  instructions.  They  are 
willing  to  do  anything  we  ask  them  to  do.  However, 
they  advised  waiting  until  Longworth  got  back,  and 
then  they  proposed  we  should  have  a  meeting  at  the 
offices  here.  They  said,  moreover,  that,  if  Longworth 
had  five  or  six  men  who  would  go  at  work  with  a  will, 
the  whole  affair  would  be  finished  in  a  week  at  most. 
They  did  not  appear  to  be  at  all  alarmed  at  the  short- 
ening time,  but  said  everything  depended  upon  the 
men  Longworth  was  going  to  bring  with  him.  If  they 
were  the  right  men,  there  would  be  no  trouble.  So, 
all  in  all,  they  advised  me  not  to  worry  about  it,  but 
to  communicate  with  Longworth,  if  I  could,  and  get 
him  to  come  as  soon  as  possible.  I  had  to  admit  my- 
self that  this  was  the  only  thing  to  do,  so  I  called 
round  to  see  if  you  had  heard  anything  from  him." 

235 


236  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  I  have  heard  nothing  about  him,"  said  Kenyon, 
"  except  that  he  has  lied,  and  has  gone  to  Paris  instead 
of  going  North." 

"  Well,"  mused  Wentworth,  "  I  don't  know  that 
that  is  a  very  important  point.  He  may  have  business 
in  Paris,  and  he  may  have  thought  it  was  no  affair  of 
ours  where  he  went,  in  which  he  was  partly  right  and 
partly  wrong.  He  thought,  no  doubt,  that  if  he  said  he 
was  going  North,  to  see  some  men  who  could  not  be 
seen  without  his  going  there,  it  would  relieve  our  minds, 
and  make  us  imagine  we  were  going  on  all  right." 

"  That  is  just  what  I  object  to,  Wentworth.  His 
whole  demeanor  seems  to  show  that  he  wants  us  to 
think  things  are  all  right  when  they  are  not  all  right." 

"  Well,  John,  as  I  said  before,  you've  got  to  do  one 
thing  or  the  other.  You  have  to  trust  Longworth  or 
to  go  on  without  him.  Now,  for  heaven's  sake,  make 
up  your  mind  which  it  is  to  be,  and  don't  grumble." 

"  I  am  not  grumbling.  A  man  that  is  really  honest 
will  not  say  what  is  false,  even  about  a  small  thing." 

"  Oh,  you  are  too  particular.  Wait  till  you  have 
been  in  the  City  ten  years  longer,  and  you  won't  mind 
a  little  thing  like  that." 

"  Little  things  like  that,  as  you  call  them,  are 
indicative  of  general  character." 

"  Sometimes  yes,  and  sometimes  no.  You  mustn't 
take  things  too  seriously.  I  do  not  see  that  anything 
can  be  done  until  Longworth  chooses  to  exhibit  him- 
self. If  you  can  suggest  anything  better,  as  I  said 
before,  tell  me  what  it  is,  and  I  am  ready  to  do  my 
part." 

"  I  confess  I  don't  see  what  we  can  do.  We  might 
wait  a  day  or  two  longer  yet,  and  then,  if  we  hear 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  237 

nothing  more  from  Longworth,  dismiss  those  solicitors 
he  has  chosen,  and  take  the  gentlemen  who  act  for 
you." 

"  The  people  Longworth  has  engaged  do  not  bear  a 
very  good  reputation  ;  still,  I  must  admit  they  talk  in 
a  very  straightforward  manner.  As  you  say,  it  is 
perhaps  better  to  let  matters  rest  for  a  day  or  two." 

And  so  the  days  passed.  Wentworth  wrote  again  to 
Longworth  at  his  office,  and  said  they  would  wait  for 
two  days,  and  if  he  did  not  put  in  an  appearance 
before  that  time,  they  would  go  on  forming  the  com- 
pany as  if  he  did  not  exist. 

To  this  no  answer  came,  and  Kenyon  and  Went- 
worth again  held  consultation  in  the  sumptuous  offices 
which  had  been  chosen  for  them. 

"  No  news  yet,  I  suppose  ?  "  said  Kenyon. 

"  None  whatever,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Very  well ;  I  have  made  up  my  mind  what  to 
do- 
But  before  John  Kenyon  could  say  what  he  had 
resolved  to  do,  the  door  opened,  and  there  entered 
unto  them  Mr.  William  Longworth,  with  his  silk  hat 
as  glossy  as  a  mirror,  a  general  trim  and  prosperous 
appearance  about  him,  a  flower  in  his  button-hole  and 
his  eyeglass  in  its  place. 

"  Good-morning,  gentlemen,"  he  said.  "  I  thought  I 
should  find  you  here,  and  so  I  did  not  call  at  your 
office,  Wentworth.  Ah,"  he  cried,  looking  round, 
"  this  is  the  proper  caper  !  These  offices  look  even 
better  than  I  thought  they  would.  I  just  got  back 
this  morning,"  he  added,  turning  to  his  partners. 

"  Indeed,"  said  Wentworth,  "  we  are  very  glad  to  see 
you.  How  did  you  enjoy  your  trip  to  Paris?" 


238  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

The  young  man  did  not  appear  in  the  least  abashed 
by  this  remark.  He  merely  elevated  his  eyebrows, 
shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  said : 

"  Ah,  well,  as  both  of  you  are  doubtless  aware,  Paris 
is  not  what  it  used  to  be.  Still,  I  had  a  very  good 
time  there." 

"  I'm  glad  of  that,"  said  Wentworth  ;  "  and  did  you 
see  the  gentlemen  you  expected  to  meet  ?  " 

"  I  must  confess  I  did  not.  I  did  not  think  it  neces- 
sary. I  have  five  or  six  men  interested  already,  prac- 
tically pledged  to  furnish  all  the  capital."  And,  saying 
this,  he  walked  round  the  desk  at  which  they  stood, 
and  sat  down,  throwing  the  right  leg  across  the  left 
and  clasping  his  knee  in  his  hands. 

"Well,  what  has  been  done  during*  my  absence? 
The  mine  floated  yet  ?  " 

"No,"  said  Wentworth;  "  the  mine  is  not  yet 
floated.  Now,  Mr.  Longworth,  the  time  has  come  for 
plain  speaking.  You  have  gone  off  to  Paris  without  a 
word  of  warning  to  us  at  a  very  critical  time,  and  you 
have  not  answered  any  of  the  letters  I  sent  to  you." 

"  Well,  my  dear  boy,  the  reason  was  that  I  expected 
every  day  to  get  back  here,  and  each  day  was  detained 
a  little  longer." 

"  Very  good  ;  the  point  I  want  to  impress  upon  you 
is  this — time  is  getting  short.  If  we  are  going  to  form 
this  company,  we  have  to  set  about  it  at  once." 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  said  Longworth  in  an  expostu- 
lating tone  of  voice,  "  that  is  exactly  what  I  hold  my- 
self. The  time  is  getting  short,  as  you  say.  Of  course, 
as  I  said  when  I  joined  you,  I  cannot  give  my  whole 
time  to  this.  We  are  equal  partners,  and  the  fact  that 
!  h  id  to  leave  for  a  few  days  should  not  interrupt  the 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  239 

business  we  have  on  hand.  What  did  you  expect  to 
do  if  I  had  not  been  a  partner  at  all  ?  " 

"  If  you  were  not  a  partner,"  replied  Wentworth 
with  some  heat,  "  we  should  have  gone  on  and  formed 
our  company,  or  failed  ;  but  the  very  fact  that  you  arc 
a  partner  is  just  what  now  retards  us.  We  do  not 
feel  justified  in  doing  anything  until  it  has  your 
approval,  or  until  we  know  that  it  does  not  run  coun- 
ter with  something  you  have  already  done." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  if  you  feel  like  that  about  it,  I  am 
quite  willing  to  withdraw.  I  am  ready  to  give  up  the 
paper  I  hold  from  you,  and  receive  back  the  paper 
you  hold  from  me.  Of  course  we  cannot  work  together 
if  there  are  to  be  any  recriminations.  I  have  done  my 
best ,  I  have  done  everything  that  I  promised  to  do — 
even  more  than  that ;  but  if  you  think  for  a  moment 
you  can  get  on  better  without  me,  I  am  ready  at  any 
time  to  retire.'1 

"  It  is  easy  to  say  that,  Mr.  Longworth,  now  that  the 
time  of  the  option  has  only  a  month  further  to  run. 
You  must  remember  that  a  great  deal  of  time  has  been 
lost,  and  not  through  our  fault." 

"  Ah !  do  you  mean  it  has  been  lost  through  my 
fault?" 

"  I  mean  that  if  we  had  been  alone  something  would 
have  been  done,  whereas  we  are  now  in  the  same 
position  as  when  we  started.  We  are  in  a  worse  posi- 
tion than  we  were  at  the  beginning,  because  we 
have  not  only  spent  our  money,  but  are  deeply  in 
debt  into  the  bargain." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Wentworth,  I  did  not  propose  to  with- 
draw until  you,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  almost  suggested 
it.  I  am  quite  willing  and  anxious  to  help,  but  if  I  do 


240  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

stay  with  you  it  must  be  understood  that  we  have  no 
such  recriminations  as  these.  You  must  do  your  best, 
and  I  must  do  my  best." 

"Very  well,  then,"  said  Wentworth;  "your  leaving 
us  at  this  time  is  entirely  out  of  the  question.  Now, 
will  you  give  me  the  names  of  those  gentlemen  who 
have  offered  to  go  in  with  us?" 

"Certainly." 

And  Longworth  pulled  out  a  note-book  from  his 
inside  pocket,  while  Wentworth  took  up  a  pen  from 
the  desk  and  pulled  a  sheet  of  paper  towards  him. 

"  First,  Mr.  Melville." 

"  Is  that  the  Melville  I  saw  in  relation  to  this 
mineral  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  I  do  not  know.  He  is  at  the  head  of 
the  Scranton  China  Company." 

"  Has  he  spoken  of  going  in  with  us?  " 

"  Yes,  he  seems  to  think  the  scheme  is  a  good  one. 
Why  do  you  ask?  " 

"  Well,  merely  because  I  took  a  specimen  of  the 
mineral  to  him  and  his  manager  wrote  to  me  that  it 
was  of  no  value.  It  seems  rather  remarkable  that  he 
should  go  in  for  the  mine  if  his  manager  believes  it  to 
be  worthless." 

"  Oh,  he  goes  in  entirely  in  his  own  private  capacity. 
He  is  not  at  all  affected  by  what  the  manager  says. 
The  manager  has  nothing  to  do  with  Melville's  private 
affairs." 

"  Still,  it  seems  very  strange,  because,  when  Kenyon 
saw  the  manager  in  the  North,  he  claimed  they  did  not 
use  this  material,  and  said  it  would  be  of  no  benefit 
whatever  to  him." 

"  That  is  very  singular,"  mused  Longworth.     "  Well, 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  241 

all  I  can  say  is,  Melville  has  intimated  that  he  should 
like  to  have  a  share  in  this  mine,  so,  I  take  it,  he  and 
the  manager  do  not  agree  as  to  the  value  of  the  mineral. 
You  can  set  down  Mr.  Melville's  name  with  perfect 
confidence.  I  know  him  very  well,  and  I  know  that 
he  is  a  thorough  man  of  business.  Besides,  it  will  be 
a  great  advantage  to  have  a  man  connected  with  the 
china  trade  in  with  us." 

There  was  no  denying  this  point,  so  Wentworth  said 
nothing  more.  Longworth  named  five  other  persons, 
none  of  whom  Wentworth  knew.  Then  he  closed  his 
note-book  and  put  it  in  his  pocket. 

"  The  question  now  is  :  Have  these  gentlemen  stated 
how  much  they  will  subscribe?"  asked  Wentworth. 

"  No,  they  have  not.  Of  course  everything  will 
depend  on  how  they  are  impressed  with  what  we  can 
tell  them.  The  great  thing  is  to  get  men  who  are 
willing  even  to  listen  to  you.  The  rest  depends  on  the 
inducements  you  offer." 

"  Do  you  expect  to  get  any  more  men  interested  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  any  more  are  needed.  The  best  thing 
to  do  now  is  to  get  those  we  have  together  and  summon 
our  solicitors  here.  Then  our  friend  Kenyon,  who  is  a 
fluent  speaker,  can  lay  the  case  before  them." 

Kenyon,  who  had  not  spoken  at  all  during  the 
interview,  did  not  even  look  up,  and  apparently  did 
not  hear  the  satirical  allusion  to  his  eloquence. 

"  Very  well ;  when  would  be  a  good  time  to  call  this 
meeting  ?  " 

"As  soon  as  possible,  I  think,"  said  Longworth. 
"  What  do  you  say  to  Monday,  at  three  o'clock  ?  Men 
come  from  lunch  about  that  hour,  and  are  in  a  good 
humor.  If  you  send  out  a  letter  saying  a  meeting  will 


242  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

be  held  here  in  the  directors'  room  at  three  o'clock, 
prompt,  on  Monday,  I  will  see  the  men  and  get  them 
to  come.  Of  course  they  are  generally  busy,  and  may 
have  other  appointments  ;  still,  we  must  do  something, 
and  nothing  can  be  done  until  we  get  them  together." 

"  Right ;  the  invitations  to  the  meeting  shall  be  sent 
out  at  once." 

Longworth  rose,  went  to  the  desk  and  picked  up  a 
paper.  "What  is  this?"  he  said. 

Kenyon  looked  up  suddenly.  "That,"  he  said, 
flushing  slightly,  "  is  our  first  subscription." 

"Who  wrote  the  name  of  Miss  Edith  Longworth 
here?" 

"  The  young  lady  herself." 

"  Has  she  been  here  ?  " 

"  She  called  and  desired  to  be  the  first  subscriber." 

"  Nonsense  !  "  cried  Longworth,  with  a  frown  ;  "  we 
don't  want  any  women  in  this  business;"  and,  saying 
that  he  tore  the  paper  in  two. 

Kenyon  clenched  his  fist  and  was  about  to  say  some- 
thing, when  Wentworth's  hand  came  down  on  his 
shoulder. 

"  I  don't  think  I  would  refuse  ten  thousand  pounds," 
said  Wentworth,  "  from  anybody  who  offered  it,  woman 
or  man.  Perhaps  we  had  better  see  whether  your  men 
will  subscribe  as  much  before  we  throw  away  a  sub- 
scription already  received." 

"  But  she  hasn't  the  ten  thousand  pounds." 

"I  fancy,"  said  Wentworth,  "that  whatever  Miss 
Longworth  puts  her  name  to,  she  is  ready  to  stand 
by  ;"  and  with  that  he  placed  the  two  pieces  of  paper  in 
a  drawer.  "  Now,  I  think  that  is  all,"  he  added  ;  "  we  will 
call  the  meeting  for  Monday,  and  see  what  comes  of  it." 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

WILLIAM  LONGWORTH  had  an  eye  for  beauty.  One 
of  his  eyes  was  generally  covered  by  a  round  disc  of 
glass,  save  when  the  disc  fell  out  of  its  place  and  dangled 
in  front  of  his  waistcoat.  Whether  the  monocle  assisted 
his  sight  or  not,  it  is  certain  that  William  knew  a  pretty 
girl  when  he  saw  her.  One  of  the  housemaids  in  the 
Longworth  household  left  suddenly,  without  just  cause 
or  provocation,  as  the  advertisements  say,  and  in  her 
place  a  girl  was  engaged  who  was  so  pretty  that,  when 
William  Longworth  caught  sight  of  her,  his  monocle 
dropped  from  its  usual  position,  and  he  stared  at  her 
with  his  two  natural  eyes,  unassisted  by  science.  He 
tried  to  speak  with  her  on  one  or  two  occasions  when  he 
met  her  alone,  but  he  could  get  no  answer  from  the  girl, 
who  was  very  shy  and  demure,  and  knew  her  place,  as 
people  say.  All  this  only  enhanced  her  value  in  young 
Longworth's  estimation,  and  he  thought  highly  of  his 
cousin's  taste  in  choosing  this  young  person  to  dust  the 
furniture. 

William  had  a  room  in  the  house  which  was  partly 
sitting-room  and  partly  study,  and  there  he  kept  many 
of  his  papers.  He  was  supposed  to  ponder  over  matters 
of  business  in  this  room,  and  it  gave  him  a  good  excuse 

243 


244  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

for  arriving  late  at  the  office  in  the  morning.  He  had 
been  sitting  up  into  the  small  hours,  he  would  tell  his 
uncle,  although  he  would  sometimes  vary  the  excuse 
by  saying  that  it  was  quieter  at  home  than  in  the  City, 
and  that  he  had  spent  the  early  part  of  the  morning  in 
reading  documents. 

The  first  time  William  got  an  answer  from  the  new 
housemaid  was  when  he  expressed  his  anxiety  about  the 
care  of  his  room.  He  said  that  servants  generally 
were  very  careless,  and  he  hoped  she  would  attend  to 
things,  and  see  that  his  papers  were  kept  nicely  in  order. 
This,  without  glancing  up  at  him,  the  girl  promised 
to  do,  and  William  thereafter  found  his  apartment 
kept  with  a  scrupulous  neatness  which  would  have  de- 
lighted the  most  particular  of  men. 

One  morning  when  he  was  sitting  by  his  table,  en- 
joying an  after-breakfast  cigarette,  the  door  opened 
softly,  and  the  new  housemaid  entered.  Seeing  him 
there,  she  seemed  confused,  and  was  about  to  retire, 
when  William,  throwing  his  cigarette  away,  sprang  to 
his  feet. 

"  No,  don't  go,"  he  said ;  "  I  was  just  about  to 
ring." 

The  girl  paused  with  her  hand  on  the  door. 

"Yes,"  he  continued,  "  I  was  just  going  to  ring,  but 
you  have  saved  me  the  trouble  ;  but,  by  the  way,  what 
is  your  name?  " 

"  Susy,  if  you  please,  sir,"  replied  the  girl  modestly. 

"  Ah  well,  Susy,  just  shut  the  door  for  a  moment." 

The  girl  did  so,  but  evidently  with  some  reluctance. 

"  Well,  Susy,"  said  William  jauntily,  "  I  suppose  that 
I'm  not  the  first  one  who  has  told  you  that  you  are 
very  pretty." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  245 

"  Oh,  sir  !  "  said  Susy,  blushing  and  looking  down  on 
the  carpet. 

"  Yes,  Susy,  and  you  take  such  good  care  of  this 
room  that  I  want  to  thank  you  for  it,"  continued 
William. 

Here  he  fumbled  in  his  pocket  for  a  moment,  and 
drew  out  half  a  sovereign. 

"  Here,  my  girl,  is  something  for  your  trouble.  Keep 
this  for  yourself." 

"  Oh,  I  couldn't  think  of  taking  money,  sir,"  said  the 
girl,  drawing  back.  "  I  couldn't  indeed,  sir  !  " 

"  Nonsense  !  "  said  William  ;  "  isn't  it  enough  ?  " 

"  Oh,  it's  more  than  enough.  Miss  Longworth  pays 
me  well  for  what  I  do,  sir,  and  it's  only  my  duty  to 
keep  things  tidy." 

"  Yes,  Susy,  that  is  very  true  ;  but  very  few  of  us  do 
our  duty,  you  know,  in  this  world." 

"  But  we  ought  to,  sir,"  said  the  girl,  in  a  tone  of 
quiet  reproof  that  made  the  young  man  smile. 

"  Perhaps,"  said  he ;  "  but  then,  you  see,  we  are  not 
all  pretty  and  good,  like  you.  I'm  sorry  you  won't 
take  the  money.  I  hope  you  are  not  offended  at  me 
for  offering  it ;  "  and  William  adjusted  his  eye-glass, 
looking  his  sweetest  at  the  young  person  standing 
before  him. 

"  Oh  no,  sir,"  she  said,  "  I'm  not  at  all  offended,  and 
I  thank  you  very  much,  very  much  indeed,  sir,  and  I 
would  like  to  ask  you  a  question,  if  you  wouldn't  think 
me  too  bold." 

"  Bold  ?  "  cried  William.  "  Why,  I  think  you  are  the 
shyest  little  woman  I  have  ever  seen.  I'll  be  very 
pleased  to  answer  any  question  you  may  ask  me. 
What  is  it  ?  " 


246  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"You  see,  sir,  I've  got  a  little  money  of  my  own." 

"  Well,  I  declare,  Susy,  this  is  very  interesting.  I'd 
no  idea  you  were  an  heiress." 

"Oh,  not  an  heiress,  sir — far  from  it.  It's  only  a 
little  matter  of  four  or  five  hundred  pounds,  sir,"  said 
Susy,  dropping  him  an  awkward  little  curtsy,  which 
he  thought  most  charming.  "  The  money  is  in  the 
bank,  and  earns  no  interest,  and  I  thought  I  would 
like  to  invest  it  where  it  would  bring  in  something." 

"  Certainly,  Susy,  and  a  most  laudable  desire  on  your 
part.  Was  it  about  that  you  wished  to  question 
me  ?  " 

"Yes,  if  you  please,  sir.  I  saw  this  paper  on  your 
desk,  and  I  thought  I  would  ask  you  if  it  would  be  safe 
for  me  to  put  my  money  in  these  mines,  sir.  Seeing 
the  paper  here,  I  supposed  you  had  something  to  do 
with  it." 

William  whistled  a  long  incredulous  note,  and  said : 

"  So  you  have  been  reading  my  papers,  have  you, 
miss?  " 

"  Oh  no,  sir,"  said  the  girl,  looking  up  at  him  with 
startled  eyes.  "  I  only  saw  the  name  Canadian  Mica- 
mine  on  this,  and  the  paper  said  it  would  pay  ten  per 
cent.,  and  I  thought  if  you  had  anything  to  do  with  it 
that  my  money  would  be  quite  safe." 

"Oh,  that  goes  without  saying,"  said  William  ;  "  but 
if  I  were  you,  my  dear,  I  should  not  put  my  money  in 
the  mica-mine." 

"  Oh,  then,  you  haven't  anything  to  do  with  the 
mine,  sir?  " 

"  Yes,  Susy,  I  have.  You  know,  fools  build  houses, 
and  wise  men  live  in  them." 

"  So  I  have  heard,"  said  Susy  thoughtfully. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  247 

"  Well,  two  fools  are  building  the  house  that  we  will 
call  the  Canadian  Mica- mine,  and  I  am  the  wise  man, 
don't  you  see,  Susy  ? "  said  the  young  man,  with  a 
sweet  smile. 

"  I'm  afraid  I  don't  quite  understand,  sir." 
"  I  don't  suppose,  Susy,"  replied  the  young  man, 
with  a  laugh,  "  that  there  are  many  who  do  ;  but  I 
think  in  a  month's  time  I  shall  own  this  mica-mine, 
and  then,  my  dear,  if  you  still  want  to  own  a  share  or 
two,  I  shall  be  very  pleased  to  give  you  a  few  without 
your  spending  any  money  at  all." 

"  Oh,  would  you,  sir?  "  cried  Susy  in  glad  surprise; 
"and  who  owns  the  mine  now?  " 

"  Oh,  two  fellows  ;  you  wouldn't  know  their  names  if 
I  told  them  to  you." 

"And  are  they  going  to  sell  it  to  you,  sir?" 
William  laughed  heartily,  and  said  : 
"  Oh  no !  they  themselves  will  be  sold." 
"  But  how  can  that  be  if  they  don't  own  the  mine  ? 
You  see,  I'm  only  a  very  stupid  girl,  and  don't  under- 
stand   business.     That's  why  I  asked    you  about    my 
money." 

"  I  don't  suppose  you  know  what  an  option  is,  do 
you,  Susy?  " 

"  No,  sir,  I  don't ;  I  never  heard  of  it  before." 
"  Well,  these  two  young  men  have  what  is  called  an 
option  on  the  mine,  which  is  to  say  that  they  are  to 
pay  a  certain  sum  of  money  at  a  certain  time  and   the 
mine  is  theirs  ;  but  if  they  don't  pay  the  certain  sum 
at  the  certain  time,  the  mine  isn't  theirs." 
"  And  won't  they  pay  the  money,  sir  ?  " 
"  No,  Susy,  they  will  not,  because,  don't  you  know, 
they  haven't  got  it.     Then  these  two  fools  will  be  sold, 


248  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

for  they  think  they  are  going  to  get  the  money,  and 
they  are  not." 

"  And  you  have  the  money  to  buy  the  mine  when 
the  option  runs  out,  sir." 

"  By  Jove  !  "  said  William  in  surprise,  "  you  have  a 
prodigious  head  for  business,  Susy ;  I  never  saw  any- 
one pick  it  up  so  fast.  You  will  have  to  take  lessons 
from  me,  and  go  on  the  market  and  speculate  your- 
self." 

"Oh,  I  should  like  to  do  that,  sir — I  should  indeed." 

"  Well,"  said  William  kindly,  "  whenever  you  have 
time,  come  to  me,  and  I  will  give  you  lessons." 

The  young  man  approached  her,  holding  out  his 
hand,  but  the  girl  slipped  away  from  him  and  opened 
the  door. 

"  I  think,"  he  said  in  a  whisper,  "  that  you  might 
give  me  a  kiss  after  all  this  valuable  information." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  William  !  "  cried  Susy,  horrified. 

He  stepped  forward  and  tried  to  catch  her,  but  the 
girl  was  too  nimble  for  him,  and  sprang  out  into  the 
passage. 

"  Surely,"  protested  William,  "  this  is  getting  infor- 
mation under  false  pretences ;  I  expected  my  fee,  you 
know." 

"  And  you  shall  have  it,"  said  the  girl,  laughing 
softly,  "  when  I  get  ten  per  cent,  on  my  money." 

"  Egad  ! "  said  William  to  himself  as  he  entered  his 
room  again,  "  I  will  see  that  you  get  it.  She's  as  clever 
as  an  outside  broker." 

When  young  Longworth  had  left  for  his  office,  Susy 
swept  and  dusted  out  his  room  again,  and  then  went 
downstairs. 

"  Where's  the  mistress  ?  "  she  asked  a  fellow-servant. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  249 

"  In  the  library,"  was  the  answer,  and  to  the  library 
Susy  went,  entering  the  room  without  knocking,  much 
to  the  amazement  of  Edith  Longworth,  who  sat  near 
the  window  with  a  book  in  her  lap.  But  further 
surprise  was  in  store  for  the  lady  of  the  house.  The 
housemaid  closed  the  door,  and  then,  selecting  a  com- 
fortable chair,  threw  herself  down  into  it,  exclaiming : 

"  Oh  dear  me  !  I'm  so  tired." 

"  Susy,"  said  Miss  Longworth,  "  what  is  the  meaning 
of  this?" 

"  It  means,  mum,"  said  Susy,  "  that  I'm  going  to 
chuck  it." 

"  Going  to  what  ?  "  asked  Miss  Longworth,  amazed. 

"  Going  to  chuck  it.  Don't  you  understand  ?  Going 
to  give  up  my  situation.  I'm  tired  of  it." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  young  woman,  rising,  "  you 
may  give  notice  in  the  proper  way.  You  have  no  right 
to  come  into  this  room  in  this  impudent  manner.  Be 
so  good  as  to  go  to  your  own  room." 

"  My  !  "  said  Susy,  "  you  can  do  the  dignified.  I 
must  practise  and  see  if  I  can  accomplish  an  attitude 
like  that.  If  you  were  a  little  prettier,  Miss  Long- 
worth,  I  should  call  that  striking  ;"  and  the  girl  threw 
back  her  head  and  laughed. 

Something  in  the  laugh  aroused  Miss  Longworth's 
recollection,  and  a  chill  of  fear  came  over  her ;  but, 
looking  at  the  girl  again,  she  saw  she  was  mistaken. 
Susy  jumped  up,  still  laughing,  and  drew  a  pin  from 
the  little  cap  she  wore,  flinging  it  on  the  chair ;  then 
she  pulled  off  her  wig,  and  stood  before  Edith  Long- 
worth  her  natural  self. 

"  Miss  Brewster ! "  gasped  the  astonished  Edith. 
"What  are  you  doing  in  my  house  in  that  disguise?" 


250  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"Oh,"  said  Jennie,  "I'm  an  amateur  housemaid. 
How  do  you  think  I  have  acted  the  part  ?  Now  sit 
down,  Miss  Dignity,  and  I  will  tell  you  something  about 
your  own  family.  I  thought  you  were  a  set  of  rogues, 
and  now  I  can  prove  it." 

"  Will  you  leave  my  house  this  instant  ?  "  cried 
Edith,  in  anger.  "  I  shall  not  listen  to  you. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  will,"  said  Jennie,  "  for  I  shall  follow 
your  own  example,  and  not  let  you  out  until  you  do 
hear  what  I  have  to  tell  you.  " 

Saying  which  the  amateur  housemaid  skipped  nimbly 
to  the  door,  and  placed  her  back  against  it. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

JENNIE  BREWSTER  stood  with  her  back  to  the  door, 
a  sweet  smile  on  her  face. 

"  This  is  my  day  for  acting,  Miss  Longworth.  I 
think  I  did  the  rdle  of  housemaid  so  well  that  it 
deceived  several  members  of  this  family,  I  am  now 
giving  an  imitation  of  yourself  in  your  thrilling  drama, 
'  All  at  Sea.'  Don't  you  think  I  do  it  most  admirably?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Edith,  sitting  down  again.  "I  wonder 
you  did  not  adopt  the  stage  as  a  profession." 

"  I  have  often  thought  of  doing  so,  but  journalism 
is  more  exciting." 

"  Perhaps.  Still,  it  has  its  disappointments.  When 
I  gave  my  thrilling  drama,  as  you  call  it,  on  shipboard, 
I  had  my  stage  accessories  arranged  to  better  advantage 
than  you  have  now." 

"Do  you  mean  the  putting  off  of  the  boat?" 

"  No ;  I  mean  that  the  electric  button  was  under  my 
hand — it  was  impossible  for  you  to  ring  for  help. 
Now,  while  you  hold  the  door,  you  cannot  stop  me 
from  ringing,  for  the  bell-rope  is  here  beside  me." 

"Yes,  that  is  a  disadvantage,  I  admit.  Do  you  in- 
tend to  ring,  then,  and  have  me  turned  out?  " 

"  I  don't  think  that  will  be  necessary  I  imagine 
you  will  go  quietly." 

"  You  are  a  pretty  clever  girl,  Miss  Longworth.  I 

251 


252  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

wish  I  liked  you,  but  I  don't,  so  we  won't  waste  valu- 
able time  deploring  that  fact.  Have  you  no  curiosity 
to  hear  what  I  was  going  to  tell  you  ?  " 

"  Not  the  slightest ;  but  there  is  one  thing  I  should 
like  to  know." 

"  Oh,  is  there  ?  Well,  that's  human,  at  any  rate. 
What  do  you  wish  to  know  ?  " 

"  You  came  here  well  recommended.  How  did  you 
know  I  wanted  a  housemaid,  and  were  your  testi- 
monials  " 

Edith  paused  for  a  word,  which  Jennie  promptly 
supplied. 

"  Forged  ?  Oh  dear  no  !  There  is  no  necessity  for 
doing  anything  criminal  in  this  country,  if  you  have 
the  money.  I  didn't  forge  them — I  bought  them. 
Didn't  you  write  to  any  of  the  good  ladies  who  stood 
sponsor  for  me  ?  " 

"Yes,  and  received  most  flattering  accounts  of  you." 

"  Certainly.  That  was  part  of  the  contract.  Oh, 
you  can  do  anything  with  money  in  London  ;  it  is  a 
most  delightful  town.  Then,  as  for  knowing  there 
was  a  vacancy,  that  also  was  money.  I  bribed  the 
other  housemaid  to  leave." 

"  I  see.     And  what  object  had  you  in  all  this  ?  " 

Jennie  Brewster  laughed — the  same  silvery  laugh 
that  had  charmed  William  Longworth  an  hour  or  two 
before,  a  laugh  that  sometimes  haunted  Wentworth's 
memory  in  the  City.  She  left  her  sentinel-like  posi- 
tion at  the  door,  and  threw  herself  into  a  chair. 

"  Miss  Longworth,"  she  said,  "  you  are  not  con- 
sistent. You  first  pretend  that  you  have  no  curiosity 
to  hear  what  I  have  to  say,  then  you  ask  me  exactly 
what  I  was  going  to  tell  you.  Of  course,  you  are 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  253 

dying  to  know  why  I  am  here ;  you  wouldn't  be  a 
woman  if  you  weren't.  Now,  I've  changed  my  mind, 
and  I  don't  intend  to  tell  you.  I  will  say,  though, 
that  my  object  in  coming  here  was,  first,  to  find  out 
for  myself  how  servants  are  treated  in  this  country. 
You  see,  my  sympathies  are  all  with  the  women  who 
work,  and  not  with  women — well,  like  yourself,  for  in- 
stance." 

"Yes,  I  think  you  said  that  once  before.  And  how 
do  we  treat  our  servants  ?  " 

"So  far  as  my  experience  goes,  very  well  indeed." 

"  It  is  most  gratifying  to  hear  you  say  this.  I  was 
afraid  we  might  not  have  met  with  your  approval. 
And  now,  where  shall  I  send  your  month's  money, 
Miss  Brewster  ?  " 

Jennie  Brewster  leaned  back  in  her  chair,  her  eyes 
all  but  closed ;  an  angry  light  shooting  from  them, 
reminded  Edith  of  her  glance  of  hatred  on  board  the 
steamship.  A  rich  warm  color  overspread  her  fair 
face,  and  her  lips  closed  tightly.  There  was  a  mo- 
ment's silence,  and  then  Jennie's  indignation  passed 
away  as  quickly  as  it  came.  She  laughed,  with  just  a 
touch  of  restraint  in  her  tone. 

"  You  can  say  an  insulting  thing  more  calmly  and 
sweetly  than  anyone  I  ever  met  before ;  I  envy  you 
that.  When  I  say  anything  low  down  and  mean,  I  say 
it  in  anger,  and  my  voice  has  a  certain  amount  of 
acridity  in  it.  I  can't  purr  like  a  cat  and  scratch  at  the 
same  time — I  wish  I  could." 

"  Is  it  an  insult  to  offer  you  the  money  you  have 
earned  ?  " 

"Yes,  it  is,  and  you  knew  it  was  when  you  spoke. 
You  don't  understand  me  a  little  bit." 


254  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Is  it  necessary  that  I  should  ?  " 
"  I  don't  suppose  you  think  it  is,"  said  Jennie  medi- 
tatively, resting  her  elbow  on  her  knee  and  her  chin  on 
her  palm.  "That  is  where  our  point  of  view  differs. 
I  like  to  know  everything.  It  interests  me  to  learn 
what  people  think  and  talk  about,  and  somehow  it 
doesn't  seem  to  matter  to  me  who  the  people  are,  for 
I  was  even  more  interested  in  your  butler's  political 
opinions  than  I  was  in  Lord  Frederick  Bingham's. 
They  are  both  Conservatives,  but  Lord  Freddie  seems 
shaky  in  his  views,  for  you  can  argue  him  down  in  five 
minutes,  but  the  butler  is  as  steadfast  as  a  rock.  I  do 
admire  that  butler.  I  hope  you  will  break  the  news  of 
my  departure  gently  to  him,  for  he  proposed  to  me, 
and  he  has  not  yet  had  his  answer." 

"  There  is  still  time,"  said  Edith,  smiling  in  spite  of 
herself.  "  Shall  I  ring  for  him  ?  " 

"  Please  do  not.  I  want  to  avoid  a  painful  scene, 
because  he  is  so  sure  of  himself,  and  never  dreams  of  a 
refusal.  It  is  such  a  pity,  too,  for  the  butler  is  my 
ideal  of  what  a  member  of  the  aristocracy  should  be. 
His  dignity  is  positively  awe-inspiring;  while  Lord 
Freddie  is  such  a  simple,  good-natured,  everyday  young 
fellow,  that  if  I  imported  him  to  the  States  I  am  sure 
no  one  would  believe  he  was  a  real  lord.  With  the 
butler  it  would  be  so  different,"  added  Jennie,  with  a 
deep  sigh. 

"  It  is  too  bad  that  you  cannot  exchange  the  declar- 
ation of  the  butler  for  one  from  Lord  Frederick." 

"Too  bad!"  cried  Jennie,  looking  with  wide-open 
eyes  at  the  girl  before  her ;  "  why,  bless  you  !  I  had  a 
proposal  from  Lord  Freddie  two  weeks  before  I  ever 
saw  the  butler.  I  see  you  don't  believe  a  word  I  say 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  255 

Well,  you  ask  Lord  Freddie.  I'll  introduce  you,  and 
tell  him  you  don't  believe  he  asked  me  to  be  Lady 
Freddie,  if  that's  the  title.  He'll  look  sheepish,  but  he 
won't  deny  it.  You  see,  when  I  found  I  was  going  to 
stay  in  England  for  a  time,  I  wrote  to  the  editor  of 
the  Argus  to  get  me  a  bunch  of  letters  of  introduction 
and  send  them  over,  as  I  wanted  particularly  to  study 
the  aristocracy.  So  he  sent  them,  and,  I  assure  you,  I 
found  it  much  more  difficult  to  get  into  your  servants' 
hall  than  I  did  into  the  halls  of  the  nobility — besides, 
it  costs  less  to  mix  with  the  Upper  Ten." 

Edith  sat  in  silence,  looking  with  amazed  interest 
at  the  girl,  who  talked  so  rapidly  that  there  was  some- 
times difficulty  in  following  what  she  said. 

"  No,  Lord  Freddie  is  not  half  so  condescending  as 
the  butler,  neither  is  his  language  so  well  chosen  ;  but 
then,  I  suppose,  the  butler's  had  more  practice,  for 
Freddie  is  very  young.  I  am  exceedingly  disappointed 
with  the  aristocracy.  They  are  not  nearly  so  haughty 
as  I  imagined  them  to  be.  But  what  astonishes  me 
in  this  country  is  the  way  you  women  spoil  the  men. 
You  are  much  too  good  to  them.  You  pet  them  and 
fawn  on  them,  and  naturally  they  get  conceited.  It 
is  such  a  pity,  too ;  for  they  are  nice  fellows,  most  of 
them.  It  is  the  same  everywhere  I've  been — servants' 
hall  included.  Why,  when  you  meet  a  young  couple, 
of  what  you  are  pleased  to  call  the  '  lower  classes  ' 
walking  in  the  park,  the  man  hangs  down  his  head  as 
he  slouches  along,  but  the  girl  looks  defiantly  at  you, 
as  much  as  to  say,  '  I've  got  him.  Bless  him  !  What 
have  you  to  say  about  it  ? '  while  the  man  seems  to 
be  ashamed  of  himself,  and  evidently  feels  that  he's 
been  had.  Now,  a  man  should  be  made  to  understand 


256  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

that  you're  doing  him  a  great  favor  when  you  give 
him  a  civil  word.  That's  the  proper  state  of  mind  to 
keep  a  man  in,  and  then  you  can  do  what  you  like 
with  him.  I  generally  make  him  propose,  so  as  to  get 
it  over  before  any  real  harm's  done,  and  to  give  an 
artistic  finish  to  the  episode.  After  that  we  can  be 
excellent  friends,  and  have  a  jolly  time.  That's  the 
way  I  did  with  Lord  Freddie.  Now,  here  am  I,  chat- 
tering away  as  if  I  were  paid  for  talking  instead  of  writ- 
ing. Why  do  you  look  at  me  so?  Don't  you  believe 
what  I  tell  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  believe  all  you  say.  What  I  can't  under- 
stand is,  why  a  bright  girl  like  you  should  enter  a 
house  and — well,  do  what  you  have  done  here,  for 
instance." 

"  Why  shouldn't  I  ?  I  am  after  accurate  informa- 
tion. I  get  it  in  my  own  way.  Your  writers  here  tell 
how  the  poor  live,  and  that  sort  of  thing.  They  enter 
the  houses  of  the  poor  quite  unblushingly,  and  print 
their  impressions  of  the  poverty-stricken  homes. 
Now,  why  should  the  rich  man  be  exempt  from  a  sim- 
ilar investigation  ?  " 

"  In  either  case  it  is  the  work  of  a  spy." 

"  Yes  ;  but  a  spy  is  not  a  dishonorable  person — at 
least,  he  need  not  be.  I  saw  a  monument  in  West- 
minster Abbey  to  a  man  who  was  hanged  as  a  spy.  A 
spy  must  be  brave  ;  he  must  have  nerve,  caution,  and 
resource.  He  sometimes  does  more  for  his  country 
than  a  whole  regiment.  Oh,  there  are  worse  persons 
than  spies  in  this  world." 

"  I  suppose  there  are,  still— 

"  Yes,  I  know.  It  is  easy  for  persons  with  plenty  of 
money  to  moralize  on  the  shortcomings  of  others.  I'll 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  257 

tell  you  a  secret.  I'm  writing  a  book,  and  if  it's  a 
success,  then  good-bye  to  journalism.  I  don't  like  the 
spy  business  myself  any  too  well ;  I'm  afraid  England 
is  contaminating  me,  and  if  I  stayed  here  a  few  years 
I  might  degenerate  so  far  as  to  think  your  newspapers 
interesting.  By  the  way,  have  you  seen  Mr.  Went- 
worth  lately  ?  " 

Edith  hesitated  a  moment,  and  at  last  answered : 

"  Yes,  I  saw  him  a  day  or  so  ago." 

"  Was  he  looking  well  ?  I  think  I  ought  to  write 
him  a  note  of  apology  for  all  the  anxiety  I  caused  him 
on  board  ship.  You  may  not  believe  it,  but  I  have 
actually  had  some  twinges  of  conscience  over  that 
episode.  I  suppose  that's  why  I  partially  forgave  you 
for  stopping  the  cablegram." 

Edith  Longworth  was  astonished  at  herself  for  giv- 
ing the  young  woman  information  about  Wentworth, 
but  she  gave  it,  and  the  amateur  housemaid  departed 
in  peace,  saying,  by  way  of  farewell : 

"  I'm  not  going  to  write  up  your  household,  after 
all." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

ONE  day  when  Kenyon  entered  the  office,  the  clerk 
said  to  him : 

"  That  young  gentleman  has  been  here  twice  to  see 
you.  He  said  it  was  very  important,  sir." 

"  What  young  gentleman  ?  " 

"  The  gentleman — here  is  his  card — who  belongs  to 
the  Financial  Field,  sir." 

"  Did  he  leave  any  message  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  he  said  he  would  call  again  at  three 
o'clock." 

"  Very  good,"  said  Kenyon  ;  and  he  began  com- 
posing his  address  to  the  proposed  subscribers. 

At  three  o'clock  the  smooth,  oily  person  from  the 
Financial  Field  put  in  an  appearance. 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Kenyon,"  he  said,  "  I  am  glad  to  meet  you. 
I  called  in  twice,  but  had  not  the  good  fortune  to  find 
you  in.  Can  I  see  you  in  private  for  a  moment  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Kenyon.  "  Come  into  the  directors' 
room ; "  and  into  the  directors'  room  they  went, 
Kenyon  closing  the  door  behind  them. 

"  Now,"  said  the  representative  of  the  Financial 
Field,  "  I  have  brought  you  a  .proof  of  the  editorial  we 
propose  using,  which  I  am  desired  by  the  proprietor 
258 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  259 

to  show  you,  so  that  it  may  be  free,  if  possible,  from 
any  error.  We  are  very  anxious  to  have  things  correct 
in  the  Financial  Field ;  "  and  with  this  he  handed  to 
John  a  long  slip  of  paper  with  a  column  of  printed 
matter  upon  it. 

The  article  was  headed,  "  The  Canadian  Mica 
Mining  Company,  Limited."  It  went  on  to  show  what 
the  mine  had  been,  what  it  had  done,  and  what  chances 
there  were  for  investors  getting  a  good  return  for  their 
money  by  buying  the  shares.  John  read  it  through 
carefully. 

"  That  is  a  very  handsome  article,"  he  said  ;  "  and  it 
is  without  an  error,  so  far  as  I  can  see." 

"  I  am  glad  you  think  so,"  replied  the  young  gentle- 
man, folding  up  the  proof  and  putting  it  in  his  inside 
pocket.  "  Now,  as  I  said  before,  although  I  am  not  the 
advertising  canvasser  of  the  Financial  Field,  I  thought 
I  would  see  you  with  reference  to  an  advertisement  for 
the  paper." 

"  Well,  you  know,  we  have  not  had  a  meeting  of  the 
proposed  stockholders  yet,  and  therefore  are  not  in  a 
position  to  give  any  advertisements  regarding  the  mine. 
I  have  no  doubt  advertisements  will  be  given,  and,  of 
course,  your  paper  will  be  remembered  among  the  rest." 

"Ah,"  said  the  young  man,  "that  is  hardly  satis- 
factory to  us.  We  have  a  vacant  half-page  for 
Monday,  the  very  best  position  in  the  paper,  which 
the  proprietor  thought  you  would  like  to  secure." 

"  As  I  said  a  moment  ago,  we  are  not  in  a  position 
to  secure  it.  It  is  premature  to  talk  of  advertising  at 
the  present  state  of  affairs." 

"  I  think,  you  know,  it  will  be  to  your  interest  to  take 
the  half-page.  The  price  is  three  hundred  pounds,  and 


260  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

besides  that  amount  we  should  like  to  have  some  shares 
in  the  company." 

"  Do  you  mean  three  hundred  pounds  for  one  inser- 
tion of  the  advertisement  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Doesn't  that  strike  you  as  being  a  trifle  exorbitant  ? 
Your  paper  has  a  comparatively  limited  circulation, 
and  they  do  not  ask  us  such  a  price  even  in  the  large 
dailies." 

"  Ah,  my  dear  sir,  the  large  dailies  are  quite  different. 
They  have  a  tremendous  circulation,  it  is  true,  but  it  is 
not  the  kind  of  circulation  we  have.  No  other  paper 
circulates  so  largely  among  investors  as  the  Financial 
Field.  It  is  read  by  exactly  the  class  of  people  you 
desire  to  reach,  and  I  may  say  that,  except  through  the 
Financial  Field,  you  cannot  get  at  some  of  the  best 
men  in  the  City." 

"  Well,  admitting  all  that,  as  I  have  said  once  or  twice, 
we  are  not  yet  in  a  position  to  give  an  advertisement." 

"  Then,  I  am  very  sorry  to  say  that  we  cannot,  on 
Monday,  publish  the  article  I  have  shown  you." 

"  Very  well ;  I  cannot  help  it.  You  are  not  com- 
pelled to  print  it  unless  you  wish.  I  am  not  sure, 
either,  that  publishing  the  article  on  Monday  would  do 
us  any  good.  It  would  be  premature,  as  I  say.  We 
are  not  yet  ready  to  court  publicity  until  we  have  had 
our__first  meeting  of  proposed  stockholders." 

"  When  is  your  first  meeting  of  stockholders?" 

"  On  Monday,  at  three  o'clock." 

"Very  well,  we  could  put  that  announcement  in 
another  column,  and  I  am  sure  you  would  find  the 
attendance  at  your  meeting  would  be  very  largely  and 
substantially  increased." 


A  WOMAN   INTERVENES.  261 

"  Possibly ;  but  I  decline  to  do  anything  till  after 
the  meeting." 

"  I  think  you  would  find  it  pay  you  extremely  well 
to  take  that  half-page." 

"  I  am  not  questioning  the  fact  at  all.  I  am  merely 
saying  what  I  have  said  to  everyone  else,  that  we  are 
not  ready  to  consider  advertising." 

"  I  am  sorry  we  cannot  come  to  an  arrangement, 
Mr.  Kenyon — very  sorry,  indeed  ;  "  and,  saying  this,  he 
took  another  proof-sheet  out  of  his  pocket,  which  he 
handed  to  Kenyon.  "  If  we  cannot  come  to  an  under- 
standing, the  manager  has  determined  to  print  this, 
instead  of  the  article  I  showed  you.  Would  you 
kindly  glance  over  it,  because  we  should  like  to  have 
it  as  correct  as  possible." 

Kenyon  opened  his  eyes,  and  unfolded  the  paper. 
The  heading  was  the  same,  but  he  had  read  only  a 
sentence  or  two  when  he  found  that  the  mica-mine 
was  one  of  the  greatest  swindles  ever  attempted  on 
poor  old  innocent  financial  London  ! 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say,"  cried  John,  looking  up  at 
him,  with  his  anger  kindling,  "  that  if  I  do  not  bribe 
you  to  the  extent  of  three  hundred  pounds,  besides 
giving  you  an  unknown  quantity  of  stock,  you  will 
publish  this  libel?" 

"  I  do  not  say  it  is  a  libel,"  said  the  young  man 
smoothly  ;  "  that  would  be  a  matter  for  the  courts  to 
decide.  You  might  sue  us  for  libel,  if  you  thought  we 
had  treated  you  badly.  I  may  say  that  has  been 
tried  several  times,  but  with  indifferent  success." 

"  But  do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  intend  to 
publish  this  article  if  I  do  not  pay  you  the  three  hun- 
dred pounds? " 


262  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Yes ;  putting  it  crudely,  that  is  exactly  what  I  do 
mean." 

Kenyon  rose  in  his  wrath  and  flung  open  the 
door. 

"  I  must  ask  you  to  leave  this  place,  and  leave  it  at 
once.  If  you  ever  put  in  an  appearance  here  again 
while  I  am  in  the  office,  I  will  call  a  policeman  and 
have  you  turned  out !  " 

"  My  dear  sir,"  expostulated  the  other  suavely,  "  it 
is  merely  a  matter  of  business.  If  you  find  it  impos- 
sible to  deal  with  us,  there  is  no  harm  done.  If  our 
paper  has  no  influence,  we  cannot  possibly  injure  you. 
That,  of  course,  is  entirely  for  you  to  judge.  If,  any 
time  between  now  and  Sunday  night,  you  conclude  to 
act  otherwise,  a  wire  to  our  office  will  hold  things 
over  until  we  have  had  an  opportunity  of  coming  to 
an  arrangement  with  you.  If  not,  this  article  will  be 
published  on  Monday  morning.  I  wish  you  a  very 
good  afternoon,  sir." 

John  said  nothing,  but  watched  his  visitor  out  on 
the  pavement,  and  then  returned  to  the  making  of  his 
report. 

On  Monday  morning,  as  he  came  in  by  train,  his 
eye  caught  a  flaming  poster  on  one  of  the  bill-boards 
at  the  station.  It  was  headed  Financial  Field,  and  the 
next  line,  in  heavy  black  letters,  was,  "  The  Mica 
Mining  Swindle."  Kenyon  called  a  newsboy  to  him 
and  bought  a  copy  of  the  paper.  There,  in  leaded 
type,  was  the  article  before  him.  It  seemed,  some- 
how, much  more  important  on  the  printed  page  than  it 
had  looked  in  the  proof. 

As  he  read  it,  he  noticed  an  air  of  truthful  sincerity 
about  the  editorial  that  had  escaped  him  during  the 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  263 

brief  glance  he  had  given  it  on  Friday.  It  went  on  to 
say  that  the  Austrian  Mining  Company  had  sunk  a 
good  deal  of  money  in  the  mine,  and  that  it  had 
never  paid  a  penny  of  dividends  ;  that  they  merely 
kept  on  at  a  constant  loss  to  themselves  in  the  hope  of 
being  able  to  swindle  some  confiding  investors — but 
that  even  their  designs  were  as  nothing  compared  to 
the  barefaced  rascality  contemplated  by  John  Ken- 
yon.  He  caught  his  breath  as  he  saw  his  own  name 
in  print.  It  was  a  shock  for  which  he  was  not  pre- 
pared, as  he  had  not  noticed  it  in  the  proof.  Then  he 
read  on.  It  seemed  that  this  man,  Kenyon,  had 
secured  the  mine  at  something  like  ten  thousand 
pounds,  and  was  trying  to  palm  it  off  on  the  unfortu- 
nate British  public  at  the  enormous  increase  of  two 
hundred  thousand  pounds;  but  this  nefarious  attempt 
would  doubtless  be  frustrated  so  long  as  there  were 
papers  of  the  integrity  of  the  Financial  Field,  to  take 
the  risk  and  expense  of  making  such  an  exposure  as 
was  here  set  forth. 

The  article  possessed  a  singular  fascination  for  Ken- 
yon.  He  read  and  reread  it  in  a  dazed  way,  as  if  the 
statement  referred  to  some  other  person,  and  he  could 
not  help  feeling  sorry  for  that  person. 

He  still  had  the  paper  in  his  hand  as  he  walked  up 
the  street,  and  he  felt  numbed  and  dazed  as  if  some- 
one had  struck  him  a  blow.  He  was  nearly  run  over 
in  crossing  one  of  the  thoroughfares,  and  heard  an 
outburst  of  profanity  directed  at  him  from  a  cab- 
driver  and  a  man  on  a  bus ;  but  he  heeded  them  not, 
walking  through  the  crowd  as  if  under  a  spell. 

He  passed  the  door  of  his  own  gorgeous  office,  and 
walked  some  distance  up  the  street  before  he  realized 


264  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

what  he  had  done.  Then  he  turned  back  again,  and, 
just  at  the  doorstep,  paused  with  a  pang  at  his 
heart. 

"  I   wonder    if    Edith    Longworth    will   read    that 
article,"  he  said  to  himself. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

WHEN  John  Kenyon  entered  his  office,  he  thought 
the  clerk  looked  at  him  askance.  He  imagined  that 
innocent  employee  had  been  reading  the  article  in 
the  Financial  Field ;  but  the  truth  is,  John  was 
hardly  in  a  frame  of  mind  to  form  a  correct  opinion 
on  what  other  people  were  doing.  Everybody  he 
met  in  the  street,  it  seemed  to  him,  was  discussing  the 
article  in  the  Financial  Field. 

He  asked  if  anybody  had  been  in  that  morning,  and 
was  told  there  had  been  no  callers.  Then  he  passed 
into  the  directors'  room,  closed  the  door  behind  him, 
sat  down  on  a  chair,  and  leaned  his  head  on  his  hands 
with  his  elbows  on  the  table.  In  this  position  Went- 
worth  found  him  some  time  later,  and  when  John 
looked  up  his  face  was  haggard  and  aged. 

"  Ah,  I  see  you  have  read  it." 

"Yes." 

"  Do  you  think  Longworth  is  at  the  bottom  of  that 
article  ?  " 

John  shook  his  head. 

"  Oh,  no,"  he  said  ;  "  he  had  nothing  whatever  to  do 
with  it." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  " 

265 


266  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

Kenyon  related  exactly  what  had  passed  between  the 
oily  young  man  of  the  Financial  Field  and  himself  in 
that  very  room.  While  this  recital  was  going  on, 
Wentworth  walked  up  and  down,  expressing  his 
opinion,  now  and  then,  in  remarks  that  were  short  and 
pithy,  but  hardly  fit  for  publication.  When  the  story 
was  told  he  turned  to  Kenyon. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  there  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  sue 
the  paper  for  libel." 

"  What  good  will  that  do  ?  " 

"  What  good  will  it  do !  Do  you  mean  to  say  that 
you  intend  to  sit  here  under  such  an  imputation  as 
they  have  cast  upon  you,  and  do  nothing  ?  What  good 
will  it  do  ?  It  will  do  all  the  good  in  the  world." 

"We  cannot  form  our  company  and  sue  the  paper  at 
the  same  time.  All  our  energies  will  have  to  be 
directed  towards  the  matter  we  have  in  hand." 

"  But,  my  dear  John,  don't  you  see  the  effect  of  that 
article?  How  can  we  form  our  company  if  such  a 
lie  remains  unchallenged  ?  Nobody  will  look  at  our 
proposals.  Everyone  will  say,  '  What  have  you  done 
about  the  article  that  appeared  in  the  Financial  Field  ?  ' 
If  we  say  we  have  done  nothing,  then,  of  course,  the 
natural  inference  is  that  we  are  a  pair  of  swindlers, 
and  that  our  scheme  is  a  fraud." 

"  I  have  always  thought,"  said  John,  "  that  the  capi- 
talization is  too  high." 

"  Really,  I  believe  you  think  that  article  is  not  so 
unfair,  after  all.  John,  I'm  astonished  at  you  !  " 

"But  if  we  do  commence  a  libel  suit,  it  cannot  be 
finished  before  our  option  has  expired.  If  we  tell 
people  that  we  have  begun  suit  against  the  Financial 
Field  for  libel,  they  will  merely  say  they  prefer  to  wait 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  267 

and  hear  what  the  result  of  the  case  is.  By  that  time 
our  chances  of  forming  a  company  will  be  gone." 

"There  is  a  certain  amount  of  truth  in  that  ;  never- 
theless, I  do  not  see  how  we  are  to  go  on  with  our 
company  unless  suit  for  libel  is  at  least  begun." 

Before  John  could  reply  there  was  a  knock  at  the 
door,  and  the  clerk  entered  with  a  letter  in  his  hand 
which  had  just  come  in.  Kenyon  tore  it  open,  read  it, 
and  then  tossed  it  across  the  table  to  Wentworth. 
Wentworth  saw  the  name  of  their  firm  of  solicitors  at 
the  top  of  the  letter  paper.  Then  he  read  : 

"  DEAR  SIR. 

"  You  have  doubtless  seen  the  article  in  the 
Financial  Field  of  this  morning,  referring  to  the  Cana- 
dian Mica  Mining  Company.  We  should  be  pleased 
to  know  what  action  you  intend  to  take  in  the  matter. 
We  may  say  that,  in  justice  to  our  reputation,  we  can 
no  longer  represent  your  company  unless  a  suit  is 
brought  against  the  paper  which  contains  the  article. 

"Yours  truly, 

"  W.  HAWK." 

Wentworth  laughed  with  a  certain  bitterness. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  if  it  has  come  to  such  a  pass  that 
Hawk  fears  for  his  reputation,  the  sooner  we  begin  a 
libel  suit  against  the  paper  the  better !  " 

"  Perhaps,"  said  John,  with  a  look  of  agony  on  his 
face,  "  you  will  tell  me  where  the  money  is  to  come 
from.  The  moment  we  get  into  the  Law  Courts  money 
will  simply  flow  like  water,  and  doubtless  the  Financial 
Field  has  plenty  of  it.  It  will  add  to  their  reputation, 
and  they  will  make  a  boast  that  they  are  fighting  the 


268  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

battle  of  the  investor  in  London.  Everything  is 
grist  that  comes  to  their  mill.  Meanwhile,  we  shall  be 
paying  out  money,  or  we  shall  be  at  a  tremendous 
disadvantage,  and  the  result  of  it  all  will  probably  be 
a  disagreement  of  the  jury  and  practical  ruin  for  us. 
You  see,  I  have  no  witnesses." 

"Yes,  but  what  about  the  mine?  How  can  we  go 
on  without  vindicating  ourselves  ?" 

Before  anything  further  could  be  said,  young  Mr. 
Longworth  came  in,  looking  as  cool,  calm,  and  un- 
ruffled as  if  there  were  no  such  things  in  the  world  as 
financial  newspapers. 

"  Discussing  it,  I  see,"  were  his  first  words. 

"  Yes,"  said  Wentworth ;  "  I  am  very  glad  you  have 
come.  We  have  a  little  difference  in  opinion  in  the 
matter  of  that  article.  Kenyon  here  is  averse  to  suing 
that  paper  for  libel ;  I  am  in  favor  of  prosecuting  it. 
Now,  what  do  you  say  ?  " 

"My  dear  fellow,"  replied  Longworth,"!  am  de- 
lighted to  be  able  to  agree  with  Mr.  Kenyon  for  once. 
Sue  them  !  Why,  of  course  not.  That  is  just  what 
they  want." 

"But,"  said  Wentworth,  "if  we  do  not,  who  is  going 
to  look  at  our  mine?" 

"  Exactly  the  same  number  of  people  as  would  look 
at  it  before  the  article  appeared." 

"  Don't  you  think  it  will  have  any  effect  ?" 

"  Not  the  slightest." 

"  But  look  at  this  letter  from  your  own  lawyers  on 
the  subject."  Wentworth  handed  Longworth  the 
letter  from  Hawk.  Longworth  adjusted  his  glass  and 
read  it  carefully  through. 

"  By  Jove  !  "  he  said  with  a  laugh,  "  I  call  that  good  ; 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  269 

I  call  that  distinctly  good.  I  had  no  idea  old  Hawk 
was  such  a  humorist !  His  reputation  indeed  ;  well, 
that  beats  me  !  All  that  Hawk  wants  is  another  suit 
on  his  hands.  I  wish  you  would  let  me  keep  this 
letter.  I  will  have  some  fun  with  my  friend  Hawk 
over  it." 

"  You  are  welcome  to  the  letter,  so  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned," said  Wentworth  ;  "  but  do  you  mean  to  say, 
Mr.  Longworth,  that  we  have  to  sit  here  calmly  under 
this  imputation  and  do  nothing?" 

"  I  mean  to  say  nothing  of  the  kind  ;  but  I  don't 
propose  to  play  into  their  hands  by  suing  them — at 
least,  I  should  not  if  it  were  my  case  instead  of  Ken- 
yon's." 

"  What  would  you  do  ?  " 

"  I  would  let  them  sue  me  if  they  wanted  to.  Of 
course,  their  canvasser  called  to  see  you,  didn't  he, 
Kenyon  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  did." 

"  He  told  you  that  he  had  a  certain  amount  of  space 
to  sell  for  a  certain  sum  in  cash  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  And,  if  you  did  not  buy  that  space,  this  certain 
article  would  appear;  whereas,  if  you  did,  an  article  of 
quite  a  different  complexion  would  be  printed  ?  " 

"  You  seem  to  know  all  about  it,"  said  Kenyon 
suspiciously. 

"  Of  course  I  do,  my  dear  boy  !  Everybody  knows 
all  about  it.  That's  the  way  those  papers  make  their 
money.  I  think  myself,  as  a  general  rule,  it 'is  cheaper 
to  buy  them  off.  I  believe  my  uncle  always  does  that 
when  he  has  anything  'special  on  hand,  and  doesn't 
want  to  be  bothered  with  outside  issues.  But  we 


2/o  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

haven't  done  so  in  this  instance,  and  this  is  the  result. 
It  can  be  easily  remedied  yet,  mind  you,  if  you  like. 
All  that  you  have  to  do  is  to  pay  his  price,  and  there 
will  be  an  equally  lengthy  article  saying  that,  from 
outside  information  received  with  regard  to  the 
Canadian  Mining  Company,  he  regrets  very  much 
that  the  former  article  was  an  entire  mistake,  and  that 
there  is  no  more  secure  investment  in  England  than 
this  particular  mine.  But  now,  when  he  has  come  out 
with  his  editorial,  I  think  it  isn't  worth  while  to  have 
any  further  dealings  with  him.  Anything  he  can  say 
now  will  not  matter.  He  has  done  all  the  harm  he 
can.  But  I  would  at  once  put  the  boot  on  the  other 
foot.  I  would  write  down  all  the  circumstances  just 
as  they  happened — give  the  name  of  the  young  man 
who  called  upon  you,  tell  exactly  the  price  he 
demanded  for  his  silence,  and  I  will  have  that  printed 
in  an  opposition  paper  to-morrow.  Then  it  will  be 
our  friend  the  Financial  Field's  turn  to  squirm  !  He 
will  say  it  is  all  a  lie,  of  course,  but  nobody  will 
believe  him,  and  we  can  tell  him,  from  the  opposition 
paper,  that  if  it  is  a  lie  he  is  perfectly  at  liberty  to  sue 
us  for  libel.  Let  him  begin  the  suit  if  he  wants  to  do 
so.  Let  him  defend  his  reputation.  Sue  him  for 
libel !  I  know  a  game  worth  two  of  that.  Could  you 
get  out  the  statement  before  the  meeting  this  after- 
noon?" 

Kenyon,  who  had  been  looking,  for  the  first  time  in 
his  life,  gratefully  at  Longworth,  said  he  could. 

"  Very  well ;  just  set  it  down  in  your  own  words  as 
plainly  as  possible,  and  give  date,  hour,  and  full  par- 
ticulars. Sign  your  name  to  it,  and  I  will  take  it 
when  I  come  to  the  meeting  thi§  afternoon,.  It  would 


.A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  271 

not  be  a  bad  plan  to  read  it  to  those  who  are  here. 
There  is  nothing  like  fighting  the  devil  with  fire. 
Fight  a  paper  with  another  paper.  Nothing  new,  I 


suppose 


"No,"  said  Kenyon  ;  "nothing  new,  except  what 
we  are  discussing." 

"  Well,  don't  let  that  trouble  you.  Do  as  I  say,  and 
we  will  begin  an  interesting  controversy.  People  like 
a  fight,  and  it  will  attract  attention  to  the  mine. 
Good-bye.  I  shall  see  you  this  afternoon." 

He  left  both  Kenyon  and  Wentworth  in  a  much 
happier  frame  of  mind  than  that  in  which  he  had 
found  them. 

"  I  say,  Kenyon,"  said  Wentworth,  "  that  fellow  is 
a  trump.  His  advice  has  cleared  the  air  wonderfully. 
I  believe  his  plan  is  the  best,  after  all,  and,  as  you 
say,  we  have  no  money  for  an  expensive  lawsuit.  I 
shall  leave  you  now  to  get  on  with  your  work,  and  will 
return  at  three  o'clock." 

At  that  hour  John  had  his  statement  finished.  The 
first  man  to  arrive  was  Longworth,  who  read  the  arti- 
cle with  approval,  merely  suggesting  a  change,  here 
and  there,  which  was  duly  made.  Then  he  put  the 
communication  into  an  envelope,  and  sent  it  to  the 
editor  of  the  opposition  paper.  Wentworth  came  in 
next,  then  Melville,  then  Mr.  King.  After  this  they  all 
adjourned  to  the  directors'  room,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
the  others  were  present. 

"  Now,"  said  Longworth,  "  as  we  are  all  here,  I  do 
not  see  any  necessity  for  delay.  You  have  probably 
read  the  article  that  appeared  in  this  morning's 
Financial  Field.  Mr.  Kenyon  has  written  a  statement 
in  relation  to  that,  which  gives  the  full  particulars  of 


272  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

the  inside  of  a  very  disreputable  piece  of  business.  It 
was  merely  an  attempt  at  blackmailing  which  failed. 
I  intended  to  have  had  the  statement  read  to  you,  but 
we  thought  it  best  to  get  it  off  as  quickly  as  possible, 
and  it  will  appear  to-morrow  in  the  Financial  Eagle, 
where,  I  hope,  you  will  all  read  it.  Now,  Mr.  Kenyon, 
perhaps  you  will  tell  us  something  about  the  mine." 

Kenyon,  like  many  men  of  worth  and  not  of  words, 
was  a  very  poor  speaker.  He  seemed  confused,  and 
was  often  a  little  obscure  in  his  remarks,  but  he  was 
listened  to  with  great  attention  by  those  present.  He 
was  helped  here  and  there  by  a  judicious  question 
from  young  Longworth,  and  when  he  sat  down  the 
impression  was  not  so  bad  as  might  have  been  ex- 
pected. After  a  moment's  silence,  it  was  Mr.  King 
who  spoke. 

"  As  I  take  it,"  he  said,  "  all  we  wish  to  know  is  this : 
Is  the  mine  what  it  is  represented  to  be?  Is  the 
mineral  the  best  for  the  use  Mr.  Kenyon  has  indicated  ? 
Is  there  a  sufficient  quantity  of  that  mineral  in  the 
mountain  he  speaks  of  to  make  it  worth  while  to 
organize  this  company  ?  It  seems  to  me  that  this 
can  only  be  answered  by  some  practical  man  going 
out  there  and  seeing  the  mine  for  himself.  Mr. 
Melville  is,  I  understand,  a  practical  man.  If  he  has 
the  time  to  spare,  I  would  propose  that  he  should  go 
to  America,  see  this  mine,  and  report." 

Another  person  asked  when  the  option  on  the  mine 
ran  out.  This  was  answered  by  young  Longworth, 
who  said  that  the  person  who  went  over  and  reported 
on  the  mine  could  cable  the  word  "  Right  "  or 
"Wrong"  ;  then  there  would  be  time  to  act  in  Lon- 
don in  getting  up  the  list  of  subscribers. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  273 

"  I  suppose,"  said  another,  "  that  in  case  of  de- 
lay there  would  be  no  trouble  in  renewing  the  option 
for  a  month  or  two  ?  " 

To  this  Kenyon  replied  that  he  did  not  know.  The 
owners  might  put  a  higher  price  on  the  property,  or 
the  mine  might  be  producing  more  mica  than  it  had 
been  heretofore,  and  they  perhaps  might  not  be  in- 
clined to  sell.  He  thought  that  things  should  be  ar- 
ranged so  that  there  would  be  no  necessity  of  asking 
for  an  extension  of  the  option,  and  to  this  they  all 
agreed. 

Melville  then  said  he  had  no  objection  to  taking  a 
trip  to  Canada.  It  was  merely  a  question  of  the 
amount  of  the  mineral  in  sight,  and  he  thought  he 
could  determine  that  as  well  as  anybody  else.  And  so 
the  matter  was  about  to  be  settled,  when  young  Long- 
worth  rose,  and  said  that  he  was  perfectly  willing  to 
go  to  Canada  himself,  in  company  with  Mr.  Melville  ; 
that  he  would  pay  all  his  own  expenses,  and  give 
them  the  benefit  of  his  opinion  as  well.  This  was  re- 
ceived with  applause,  and  the  meeting  terminated. 
Longworth  shook  hands  with  Kenyon  and  Wentworth. 

"  We  will  sail  by  the  first  steamer,"  he  said,  "and,  as 
I  may  not  see  you  again,  you  might  write  me  a  letter 
of  introduction  to  Mr.  Von  Brent,  and  tell  him  that 
I  am  acting  for  you  in  this  affair.  That  will  make 
matters  smooth  in  getting  an  extension  of  the  option, 
if  it  should  be  necessary." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

KEN  YON  was  on  his  way  to  lunch  next  day,  when 
he  met  Wentworth  at  the  door. 

"  Going  to  feed  ?  "  asked  the  latter. 

"Yes." 

"  Very  well ;  I'll  go  with  you.  I  couldn't  stay  last 
night  to  have  a  talk  with  you  over  the  meeting ;  but 
what  did  you  think  of  it?" 

"  Well,  considering  the  article  which  appeared  in  the 
morning,  and  considering  also  the  exhibition  I  made  of 
myself  in  attempting  to  explain  the  merits  of  the  mine, 
I  think  things  went  off  rather  smoothly." 

"  So  do  I.  It  doesn't  strike  you  that  they  went  off 
a  little  too  smoothly,  does  it  ?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  exactly  what  I  mean.  I  merely  wanted 
to  get  your  own  opinion  about  it.  You  see,  I  have 
attended  a  great  many  gatherings  of  this  sort,  and 
it  struck  me  there  was  a  certain  cut-and-driedness 
about  the  meeting.  I  can't  say  whether  it  impressed 
me  favorably  or  unfavorably,  but  I  noticed  it." 

"  I  still  don't  understand  what  you  mean." 

"  Well,  as  a  general  thing  in  such  meetings,  when  a 
man  gets  up  and  proposes  a  certain  action  there  is 
some  opposition,  or  somebody  has  a  suggestion  to 
274 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  275 

make,  or  something  better  to  propose — or  thinks  he 
has — and  so  there  is  a  good  deal  of  talk.  Now,  when 
King  got  up  and  proposed  calmly  that  Melville  should 
go  to  America,  it  appeared  to  me  rather  an  extraordi- 
nary thing  to  do,  unless  he  had  consulted  Melville 
beforehand." 

"  Perhaps  he  had  done  so." 

"Yes,  perhaps.     What  do  you  think  of  it  all  ?  " 

Kenyon  mused  for  a  moment  before  he  replied  : 

"  As  I  said  before,  I  thought  things  went  off  very 
smoothly.  Whom  do  you  suspect — young  Long- 
worth  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know  whom  I  suspect.  I  am  merely 
getting  anxious  about  the  shortness  of  the  time.  I 
think,  myself,  you  ought  to  go  to  America.  There  is 
nothing  to  be  done  here.  You  should  go,  see  Von 
Brent,  and  get  a  renewal  of  the  option.  Don't  you  see 
that  when  they  get  over  there,  allowing  them  a  few 
days  in  New  York,  and  a  day  or  two  to  get  out  to  the 
mine,  we  shall  have  little  more  than  a  week,  after  the 
cable  despatch  comes,  in  which  to  do  anything,  should 
they  happen  to  report  unfavorably." 

"  Yes,  I  see  that.  Still,  it  is  only  a  question  of  facts 
on  which  they  have  to  report,  and  you  know,  as  well  as 
I  do,  that  no  truthful  men  can  report  unfavorably  on 
what  we  have  certified.  We  have  understated  the 
case  in  every  instance." 

"  I  know  that.  I  am  perfectly  well  aware  of  that. 
Everything  is  all  right  if — if — Longworth  is  dealing 
honestly  with  us.  If  he  is  not,  then  everything  is  all 
wrong,  and  I  should  feel  a  great  deal  easier  if  we  had 
in  our  possession  another  three  months'  option  of  the 
mine.  We  are  now  at  the  fag-end  of  this  option,  and, 


276  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

it  seems  to  me,  as  protection  to  ourselves,  we  ought 

either  to  write  to  Von  Brent By  the  way,  have 

you  ever  written  to  him  ?  " 

"  I  wrote  one  letter  telling  him  how  we  were  getting 
on,  but  have  received  no  answer ;  perhaps  he  is  not  in 
Ottawa  at  present." 

"  Well,  I  think  you  ought  to  go  to  the  mine  with 
Longworth  and  Melville.  It  is  the  conjunction  of 
those  two  men  that  makes  me  suspicious.  I  can't 
tell  what  I  suspect.  I  can  give  nothing  definite  ;  but  I 
have  a  vague  uneasiness  when  I  think  that  the  man 
who  tried  to  mislead  us  regarding  the  value  of  the 
mineral  is  going  with  the  man  who  has  led  us  into 
all  this  expense.  Longworth  refused  to  go  into  the 
scheme  in  the  first  place,  pretended  he  had  forgotten 
all  about  it  in  the  second  place,  and  then  suddenly 
developed  an  interest." 

John  knitted  his  brows  and  said  nothing. 

"  I  don't  want  to  worry  you  about  it,  but  I  am  anxious 
to  have  your  candid  opinion.  What  had  we  better 
do?" 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  John,  after  a  pause,  "  that 
we  can  do  nothing.  It  is  a  very  perplexing  situation. 
I  think,  however,  we  should  turn  it  over  in  our  minds 
for  a  few  days,  and  then  I  can  get  to  America  in 
plenty  of  time,  if  necessary." 

"  Very  well,  suppose  we  give  them  ten  days  to  get  to 
the  mine  and  reply.  If  no  reply  comes  by  the  eleventh 
day,  then  you  will  still  have  eighteen  or  nineteen 
days  before  the  option  expires.  Put  it  at  twelve 
days.  I  propose,  if  you  hear  nothing  by  then,  you  go 
over." 

"  Right,"  said  John  ;  "  we  may  take  that  as  settled." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  277 

"  By  the  way,  you  got  an  invitation  to-day,  did  you 
not?" 

"  Yes." 

"Are  you  going?" 

"  I  don't  know.  I  should  like  to  go,  and  yet,  you 
know,  I  am  entirely  unused  to  fashionable  assemblages. 
I  should  not  know  what  to  say  or  do  while  I  was  there." 

"  As  I  understand,  it  is  not  to  be  a  fashionable  party, 
but  merely  a  little  friendly  gathering  which  Miss  Long- 
worth  gives  because  her  cousin  is  about  to  sail  for 
Canada.  I  don't  want  to  flatter  you,  John,  at  all,  but 
I  imagine  Miss  Longworth  would  be  rather  disap- 
pointed if  you  did  not  put  in  an  appearance.  Besides, 
as  we  are  partners  with  Longworth  in  this,  and  as  he  is 
going  away  on  account  of  the  mine,  I  think  it  would 
be  a  little  ungracious  of  us  not  to  go." 

"  Very  well,  I  will  go.  Shall  I  call  for  you,  or  will 
you  come  for  me  ?  " 

"  I  will  call  for  you,  and  we  will  go  there  together  in 
a  cab.  Be  ready  about  eight  o'clock." 

The  mansion  of  the  Longworths  was  brilliantly 
lighted  and  John  felt  rather  faint-hearted  as  he  stood 
on  the  steps  before  going  in.  The  chances  are 
he  would  not  have  had  the  courage  to  allow  him- 
self to  be  announced  if  his  friend  Wentworth  had  not 
been  with  him.  George,  however,  had  no  such  qualms, 
being  more  experienced  in  this  kind  of  thing  than  his 
comrade.  So  they  entered  together,  and  were  warmly 
greeted  by  the  young  hostess. 

"  It  is  so  kind  of  you  to  come,"  she  said,  "  on  such 
short  notice.  I  was  afraid  you  might  have  had  some 
prior  engagement,  and  would  have  found  it  impossible 
to  be  with  us." 


278  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  You  must  not  think  that  of  me,"  said  Wentworth. 
"  I  was  certain  to  come ;  but  I  must  confess  my 
friend  Kenyon  here  was  rather  difficult  to  manage. 
He  seems  to  frown  on  social  festivities,  and  actually 
had  the  coolness  to  propose  that  we  should  both 
plead  more  important  business." 

Edith  looked  reproachfully  at  Kenyon,  who  flushed 
to  the  temples,  as  was  his  custom,  and  said  : 

"  Now,  Wentworth,  that  is  unfair.  You  must  not 
mind  what  he  says,  Miss  Longworth ;  he  likes  to  bring 
confusion  on  me,  and  he  knows  how  to  do  it.  I  cer- 
tainly said  nothing  about  a  prior  engagement." 

"  Well,  now  you  are  here,  I  hope  you  will  enjoy 
yourselves.  It  is  quite  an  informal  little  gathering, 
with  nothing  to  abash  even  Mr.  Kenyon." 

They  found  young  Longworth  there  in  company 
with  Melville,  who  was  to  be  his  companion  on  the 
voyage.  He  shook  hands,  but  without  exhibiting  the 
pleasure  at  meeting  them  which  his  cousin  had  shown. 

"  My  cousin,"  said  the  young  man,  "  seems  resolved 
to  make  the  going  of  the  prodigal  nephew  an  occasion 
for  killing  the  fatted  calf.  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  why, 
unless  it  is  that  she  is  glad  to  be  rid  of  me  for  a  month." 

Edith  laughed  at  this,  and  left  the  men  together. 
Wentworth  speedily  contrived  to  make  himself  agree- 
able to  the  young  ladies  who  were  present ;  but  John, 
it  must  be  admitted,  felt  awkward  and  out  of  place. 
He  was  not  enjoying  himself.  He  caught  himself  now 
and  then  following  Edith  Longworth  with  his  eyes ; 
and  when  he  realized  he  was  doing  this,  would  abruptly 
look  at  the  floor.  In  her  handsome  evening  dress  she 
appeared  supremely  lovely,  and  this  John  Kenyon 
admitted  to  himself  with  a  sigh,  for  her  very  loveliness 


A  WOMAN   INTERVENES.  279 

seemed  to  place  her  further  and  further  away  from 
him.  Somebody  played  something  on  the  piano,  and 
this  was,  in  a  way,  a  respite  for  John.  He  felt  that  no- 
body was  looking  at  him.  Then  a  young  man  gave  a 
recitation,  which  was  very  well  received,  and  Kenyon 
began  to  forget  his  uneasiness.  A  German  gentleman 
with  long  hair  sat  down  at  the  piano  with  a  good  deal  of 
importance  in  his  demeanor.  There  was  much  arrang- 
ing of  music,  and  finally,  when  the  leaves  were  settled 
to  his  satisfaction,  there  was  a  tremendous  crash  of 
chords,  the  beginning  of  what  was  evidently  going  to 
be  a  troublesome  time  for  the  piano.  In  the  midst  of 
this  hurricane  of  sound  John  Kenyon  became  aware 
that  Edith  Longworth  had  sat  down  beside  him. 

"  I  have  got  everyone  comfortably  settled  with 
everyone  else,"  she  said  in  a  whisper  to  him,  "and  you 
seem  to  be  the  only  one  who  is,  as  it  were,  out  in  the 
cold,  so,  you  see,  I  have  done  you  the  honor  to  come 
and  talk  to  you." 

"  It  is  indeed  an  honor,"  said  John  earnestly. 

"  Oh,  really,"  said  the  young  woman,  laughing  very 
softly,  "  you  must  not  take  things  so  seriously.  I 
didn't  mean  quite  what  I  said,  you  know — that  was 
only,  as  the  children  say,  'pretended';  but  you  take 
one's  light  remarks  as  if  they  were  most  weighty  sen- 
tences. Now,  you  must  look  as  if  you  were  entertain- 
ing me  charmingly,  whereas  I  have  sat  down  beside 
you  to  have  a  very  few  minutes'  talk  on  business.  I 
know  it's  very  bad  form  to  talk  business  at  an  evening 
party,  but,  you  see,  I  have  no  other  chance  to  speak 
with  you.  I  understand  you  have  had  a  meeting  of 
shareholders,  and  yet  you  never  sent  me  an  invitation. 
I  told  you  that  I  wished  to  help  you  in  forming  a 


280  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

company ;  but  that  is  the  way  you  business  men 
always  treat  a  woman." 

"  Really,  Miss  Longworth,"  began  Kenyon  ;  but  she 
speedily  interrupted  him. 

"  I  am  not  going  to  let  you  make  any  explanation. 
I  have  come  over  here  to  enjoy  scolding  you,  and  I 
am  not  to  be  cheated  out  of  my  pleasure." 

"  I  think,"  said  John,  "  if  you  knew  how  much  I  have 
suffered  during  this  last  day  or  two,  you  would  be  very 
lenient  with  me.  Did  you  read  that  article  upon  me 
in  the  Financial  Field?  " 

"  No,  I  did  not,  but  I  read  your  reply  to  it  this 
morning,  and  I  think  it  was  excellent." 

"  Ah,  that  was  hardly  fair.  A  person  should  read 
both  sides  of  the  question  before  passing  judgment." 

"  It  is  a  woman's  idea  of  fairness,"  said  Edith,  "  to 
read  what  pertains  to  her  friend,  and  to  form  her 
judgment  without  hearing  the  other  side.  But  you 
must  not  think  I  am  going  to  forego  scolding  you 
because  of  my  sympathy  with  you.  Don't  you  re- 
member you  promised  to  let  me  know  how  your 
company  was  progressing  from  time  to  time,  and  here 
I  have  never  had  a  word  from  you  ;  now  tell  me  how 
you  have  been  getting  on." 

"  I  hardly  know,  but  I  think  we  are  doing  very  well 
indeed.  You  know,  of  course,  that  your  cousin  is 
going  to  America  to  report  upon  the  mine.  As  I  have 
stated  nothing  but  what  is  perfectly  true  about  the 
property,  there  can  be  no  question  as  to  what  that 
report  will  be,  so  it  seems  to  me  everything  is  going 
on  nicely." 

"  Why  do  not  you  go  to  America  ?  " 

"  Ah,  well,  I  am  an  interested  party,  and  those  who 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  281 

are  thinking  of  going  in  with  us  have  my  report  already. 
It  is  necessary  to  corroborate  that.  When  it  is  cor- 
roborated, I  expect  we  shall  have  no  trouble  in  forming 
the  company." 

"  And  was  William  chosen  by  those  men  to  go  to 
Canada?" 

"  He  was  not  exactly  chosen  ;  he  volunteered.  Mr. 
Melville  here  was  the  one  who  was  chosen." 

"And  why  Mr.  Melville  more  than  you,  for  in- 
stance ?  " 

"  Well,  as  I  said,  I  am  out  of  the  question  because 
I  am  an  interested  party.  Melville  is  a  man  con- 
nected with  china  works,  and  as  such,  in  a  measure, 
an  expert." 

"Is  Mr.  Melville  a  friend  of  yours?" 

"  No,  he  is  not.  I  never  saw  him  until  he  came 
to  the  meeting." 

"  Do  you  know,"  she  said,  lowering  her  voice  and 
bending  towards  him,  "  that  I  do  not  like  Mr.  Melville's 
face  ?  "  Kenyon  glanced  at  Melville,  who  was  at  the 
other  side  of  the  room,  and  Edith  went  on :  "  You 
must  not  look  at  people  when  I  mention  them  in  that 
way,  or  they  will  know  we  are  talking  about  them. 
I  do  not  like  his  face.  He  is  too  handsome  a  man, 
and  I  don't  like  handsome  men." 

"  Don't  you,  really,"  said  John  ;  "  then,  you  ought 
to- 

Edith  laughed  softly,  a  low,  musical  laugh  that  was 
not  heard  above  the  piano  din,  and  was  intended  for 
John  alone,  and  to  his  ears  it  was  the  sweetest  music 
he  had  ever  heard. 

"  I  know  what  you  were  going  to  say,"  she  said  ; 
"  you  were  going  to  say  that  in  that  case  I  ought  to 


282  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

like  you.  Well,  I  do ;  that  is  why  I  am  taking  such 
an  interest  in  your  mine,  and  in  your  friend  Mr. 
Wentworth.  And  so  my  cousin  volunteered  to  go  to 
Canada.  Now,  I  think  you  ought  to  go  yourself." 

"  Why?  "  said  Kenyon,  startled  that  she  should  have 
touched  the  point  that  had  been  discussed  between 
Wentworth  and  himself. 

"  I  can  only  give  you  a  woman's  reason — '  because 
I  do.'  It  seems  to  me  you  ought  to  be  there  to  know 
what  they  report  at  the  time  they  do  report.  Perhaps 
they  won't  understand  the  mine  without  your  explana- 
tion, and  then  you  see  an  adverse  report  might  come 
back  in  perfect  good  faith.  I  think  you  ought  to  go 
to  America,  Mr.  Kenyon." 

"That  is  just  what  George  Wentworth  says." 

"  Does  he?  I  always  thought  he  was  a  very  sensible 
young  man,  and  now  I  am  sure  of  it.  Well,  I  must 
not  stay  here  gossiping  with  you  on  business.  I  see 
the  professor  is  going  to  finish,  and  so  I  shall  have 
to  look  after  my  other  guests.  If  I  don't  see  you  again 
this  evening,  or  have  no  opportunity  of  speaking  with 
you,  think  over  what  I  have  said." 

And  then,  with  the  most  charming  hypocrisy,  the 
young  woman  thanked  the  professor  for  the  music  to 
which  she  had  not  listened  in  the  least. 

"Well,  how  did  you  enjoy  yourself  ?"  said  Went- 
worth, when  they  had  got  outside  again. 

It  was  a  clear,  starlight  night,  and  they  had  resolved 
to  walk  home  together. 

"  I  enjoyed  myself  very  well  indeed,"  answered 
Kenyon  ;  "  much  better  than  I  expected.  It  was  a 
little  awkward  at  first,  but  I  got  over  that." 

"  I  noticed  you  did — with  help," 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  283 

"Yes,  'with  help.'" 

"If  you  are  inclined  to  rave,  John,  now  that  we  are 
under  the  stars,  remember  I  am  a  close  confidant, 
and  a  sympathetic  listener.  I  should  like  to  hear  you 
rave,  just  to  learn  how  an  exasperatingly  sensible  man 
acts  under  the  circumstances." 

"  I  shall  not  rave  about  anything,  George,  but  I  will 
tell  you  something.  I  am  going  to  Canada." 

"  Ah,  did  she  speak  about  that  ?  " 

"  She  did." 

"And  of  course  her  advice  at  once  decides  the 
matter,  after  my  most  cogent  arguments  have  failed  ?  " 

"  Don't  be  offended,  George,  but — it  does" 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

"  WHAT  name,  please  ?  " 

"  Tell  Mr.  Wentworth  a  lady  wishes  to  see  him." 

The  boy  departed  rather  dubiously,  for  he  knew  this 
message  was  decidedly  irregular  in  a  business  office. 
People  should  give  their  names. 

"  A  lady  to  see  you,  sir,"  he  said  to  Wentworth ;  and 
then,  just  as  the  boy  had  expected,  his  employer 
wanted  to  know  the  lady's  name. 

Ladies  are  not  frequent  visitors  at  the  office  of  an 
accountant  in  the  City,  so  Wentworth  touched  his 
collar  and  tie  to  make  sure  they  were  in  their  correct 
position,  and,  wondering  who  the  lady  was,  asked  the 
boy  to  show  her  in. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Wentworth  ? "  she  said 
brightly,  advancing  towards  his  table  and  holding  out 
her  hand. 

Wentworth  caught  his  breath,  and  took  her  extended 
hand  somewhat  limply ;  then  he  pulled  himself  together, 
saying : 

"This  is  an  unexpected  pleasure,  Miss  Brewster." 

Jennie  blushed  very  prettily,  and  laughed  a  laugh 
that  Wentworth  thought  was  like  a  little  ripple  of 
music  from  a  mellow  flute. 

"  It  may  be  unexpected,"  she  said,  "but  you  don't 
284 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  285 

look  a  bit  like  a  man  suffering  from  an  overdose  of 
pure  joy.  You  didn't  expect  to  see  me,  did  you  ?  " 

"  I  did  not ;  but  now  that  you  are  here,  may  I  ask 
in  what  way  I  can  serve  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  in  the  first  place,  you  may  ask  me  to  take  a 
chair,  and  in  the  second  place  you  may  sit  down  your- 
self;  for  I've  come  to  have  a  long  talk  with  you." 

The  prospect  did  not  seem  to  be  so  alluring  to 
Wentworth  as  one  might  have  expected,  when  the 
announcement  was  made  by  a  girl  so  pretty,  and 
dressed  in  such  exquisite  taste  ;  but  the  young  man 
promptly  offered  her  a  chair,  and  then  sat  down,  with 
the  table  between  them.  She  placed  her  parasol  and 
a  few  things  she  had  been  carrying  on  the  table, 
arranging  them  with  some  care ;  then,  having  given 
him  time  to  recover  from  his  surprise,  she  flashed  a 
look  at  him  that  sent  a  thrill  to  the  finger-tips  of  the 
young  man.  Yet  a  danger  understood  is  a  danger 
half  overcome ;  and  Wentworth,  unconsciously  draw- 
ing a  deep  breath,  nerved  himself  against  any  recur- 
rence of  a  feeling  he  had  been  trying  with  but  indiffer- 
ent success  to  forget,  saying  grimly,  but  only  half 
convincingly,  to  himself : 

"  You  are  not  going  to  fool  me  a  second  time,  my 
girl,  lovely  as  you  are." 

A  glimmer  of  a  smile  hovered  about  the  red  lips  of 
the  girl,  a  smile  hardly  perceptible,  but  giving  an  effect 
to  her  clear  complexion  as  if  a  sunbeam  had  crept  into 
the  room,  and  its  reflection  had  lit  up  her  face. 

"  I  have  come  to  apologize,  Mr.  Wentworth,"  she 
said  at  last.  "  I  find  it  a  very  difficult  thing  to  do,  and, 
as  I  don't  quite  know  how  to  begin,  I  plunge  right 
into  it." 


286  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  You  don't  need  to  apologize  to  me  for  anything. 
Miss  Brewster,"  replied  Wentworth,  rather  stifly. 

"  Oh  yes,  I  do.  Don't  make  it  harder  than  it  is  by 
being  too  frigidly  polite  about  it,  but  say  you  accept 
the  apology,  and  that  you're  sorry — no,  I  don't  mean 
that — I  should  say  that  you're  sure  I'm  sorry,  and  that 
you  know  I  won't  do  it  again." 

Wentworth  laughed,  and  Miss  Brewster  joined  him. 

"  There,"  she  said,  "  that's  ever  so  much  better.  I 
suppose  you've  been  thinking  hard  things  of  me  ever 
since  we  last  met." 

"  I've  tried  to,"  replied  Wentworth. 

"  Now,  that's  what  I  call  honest ;  besides,  I  like  the 
implied  compliment.  I  think  it's  very  neat  indeed. 
I'm  really  very,  very  sorry  that  I — that  things  happened 
as  they  did.  I  wouldn't  have  blamed  you  if  you  had 
used  exceedingly  strong  language  about  it  at  the 
time." 

"  I  must  confess  that  I  did." 

"Ah,"  said  Jennie,  with  a  sigh,  "you  men  have  so 
many  comforts  denied  to  us  women.  But  I  came  here 
for  another  purpose ;  if  I  had  merely  wanted  to  apolo- 
gize, I  think  I  would  have  written.  I  want  some  in- 
formation which  you  can  give  me,  if  you  like." 

The  young  woman  rested  her  elbows  on  the  table, 
with  her  chin  in  her  hands,  gazing  across  at  him 
earnestly  and  innocently.  Poor  George  felt  that  it 
would  be  almost  impossible  to  refuse  anything  to  those 
large  beseeching  eyes. 

"  I  want  you  to  tell  me  about  your  mine." 

All  the  geniality  that  had  gradually  come  into 
Wentworth's  face  and  manner  vanished  instantly. 

"  So  this  is  the  old  business  over  again  ?  "  he  said. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  287 

"  How  can  you  say  that !  "  cried  Jennie  reproach- 
fully. "  I  am  asking  for  my  own  satisfaction  entirely, 
and  not  for  my  paper.  Besides,  I  tell  you  frankly 
what  I  want  to  know,  and  don't  try  to  get  it  by  indi- 
rect means — by  false  pretences,  as  you  once  said." 

"  How  can  you  expect  me  to  give  you  information 
that  does  not  belong  to  me  alone?  I  have  no  right  to 
speak  of  a  business  which  concerns  others  without 
their  permission." 

"Ah,  then,  there  are  at  least  two  more  concerned  in 
the  mine,"  said  Jennie  gleefully.  "  Kenyon  is  one,  I 
know;  who  is  the  other?" 

"  Miss  Brewster,  I  will  tell  you  nothing." 

"  But  you  have  told  me  something  already.  Please 
go  on  and  talk,  Mr.  Wentworth — about  anything  you 
like — and  I  shall  soon  find  out  all  I  want  to  know 
about  the  mine." 

She  paused,  but  Wentworth  remained  silent,  which, 
indeed,  the  bewildered  young  man  realized  was  the 
only  safe  thing  to  do. 

"  They  speak  of  the  talkativeness  of  women,"  Miss 
Brewster  went  on,  as  if  soliloquizing,  "  but  it  is  nothing 
to  that  of  the  men.  Once  set  a  man  talking,  and  you 
learn  everything  he  knows — besides  ever  so  much  more 
that  he  doesn't." 

Miss  Brewster  had  abandoned  her  very  taking  atti- 
tude, with  its  suggestion  of  confidential  relations,  and 
had  removed  her  elbows  from  the  table,  sitting  now 
back  in  her  chair,  gazing  dreamily  at  the  dingy 
window  which  let  the  light  in  from  the  dingy  court. 
She  seemed  to  have  forgotten  that  Wentworth  was 
there,  and  said,  more  to  herself  than  to  him : 

"  I  wonder  if  Kenyon  would  tell  me  about  the  mine." 


288  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"You  might  ask  him." 

"  No ;  it  wouldn't  do  any  good,"  she  continued, 
gently  shaking  her  head.  "  He's  one  of  your  silent 
men,  and  there  are  so  few  of  them  in  this  world.  Per- 
haps I  had  better  go  to  William  Longworth  himself ; 
he's  not  suspicious  of  me." 

As  she  said  this,  she  threw  a  quick  glance  at  Went- 
worth,  and  the  unfortunate  young  man's  face  at  once 
told  her  that  she  had  hit  the  mark.  She  bent  her  head 
over  the  table,  and  laughed  with  such  evident  enjoy- 
ment that  Wentworth,  in  spite  of  his  helpless  anger, 
smiled  grimly. 

Jennie  raised  her  head,  but  the  sight  of  his  perplexed 
countenance  was  too  much  for  her,  and  it  was  some 
time  before  her  merriment  allowed  her  to  speak.  At 
last  she  said : 

"  Wouldn't  you  like  to  take  me  by  the  shoulders  and 
put  me  out  of  the  room,  Mr.  Wentworth?  " 

"  I'd  like  to  take  you  by  the  shoulders  and  shake 
you." 

"  Ah !  that  would  be  taking  a  liberty,  and  could  not 
be  permitted.  We  must  leave  punishment  to  the  law, 
you  know,  although  I  do  think  a  man  should  be 
allowed  to  turn  an  objectionable  visitor  into  the  street." 

"  Miss  Brewster,"  cried  the  young  man  earnestly, 
leaning  over  the  table  towards  her,  "  why  don't  you 
abandon  your  horrible  inquisitorial  profession,  and  put 
your  undoubted  talents  to  some  other  use?  " 

"  What,  for  instance  ?  " 

"Oh,  anything." 

Jennie  rested  her  fair  cheek  against  her  open  palm 
again,  and  looked  at  the  dingy  window.  There  was  a 
long  silence  between  them — Wentworth  absorbed  in 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  289 

watching  her  clear-cut  profile  and  her  white  throat,  his 
breath  quickening  as  he  feasted  his  eyes  on  her  beauty. 

"  I  have  always  got  angry,"  she  said  at  last,  in  a  low 
voice  with  a  quiver  of  a  suppressed  sigh  in  it,  "  when 
other  people  have  said  that  to  me — I  wonder  why  it  is 
I  merely  feel  hurt  and  sad  when  you  say  it  ?  It  is 
so  easy  to  say,  '  Oh,  anything ' — so  easy,  so  easy. 
You  are  a  man,  with  the  strength  and  determination 
of  a  man,  yet  you  have  met  with  disappointments  and 
obstacles  that  have  required  all  your  courage  to  over- 
come. Every  man  has,  and  with  most  men  it  is  a 
fight  until  the  head  is  gray,  and  the  brain  weary  with 
the  ceaseless  struggle.  The  world  is  utterly  merciless  ; 
it  will  trample  you  down  relentlessly  if  it  can,  and  if 
your  vigilance  relaxes  for  a  moment,  it  will  steal  your 
crust  and  leave  you  to  starve.  Every  time  I  think  of 
this  incessant  sullen  contest,  with  no  quarter  given  or 
taken,  I  shudder,  and  pray  that  I  may  die  before  I  am 
at  the  mercy  of  the  pitiless  world.  When  I  came  to 
London,  I  saw,  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  that  hope- 
less, melancholy  promenade  of  the  sandwich-men ; 
human  wreckage  drifting  along  the  edge  of  the  street, 
as  if  cast  up  there  by  the  rushing  tide  sweeping  past 
them.  They — they  seemed  to  me  like  a  tottering  pro- 
cession of  the  dead  ;  and  on  their  backs  was  the  an- 
nouncement of  a  play  that  was  making  all  London 
roar  with  laughter.  The  awful  comedy  and  tragedy  of 
it !  Well,  I  simply  couldn't  stand  it.  I  had  to  run 
up  a  side-street  and  cry  like  the  little  fool  I  was,  right 
in  broad  daylight." 

Jennie  paused  and  tried  to  laugh,  but  the  effort 
ended  in  a  sound  suspiciously  like  a  sob.  She  dashed 
her  hand  with  quick  impatience  across  her  eyes,  from 


290  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

which  Wentworth  had  never  taken  his  own,  seeing 
them  become  dim,  as  if  the  light  from  the  window 
proved  too  strong  for  them,  and  finally  fill  as  she 
ceased  to  speak.  Searching  ineffectually  about  her 
dress  for  a  handkerchief,  which  lay  on  the  table  beside 
her  parasol  unnoticed  by  either,  Jennie  went  on  with 
some  difficulty : 

"  Well,  these  poor  forlorn  creatures  were  once  men 
— men  who  have  gone  down — and  if  the  world  is  so 
hard  on  a  man  with  all  his  strength  and  resourceful- 
ness, think — think  what  it  is  for  a  woman  thrown  into 
this  inhuman  turmoil — a  woman  without  friends — 
without  money — flung  among  these  relentless  wolves 
—to  live  if  she  can — or — to  die — if  she  can." 

The  girl's  voice  broke,  and  she  buried  her  face  in 
her  arms,  which  rested  on  the  table. 

Wentworth  sprang  to  his  feet  and  came  round  to 
where  she  sat. 

"  Jennie,"  he  said,  putting  his  hand  on  her  shoulder. 
The  girl,  without  looking  up,  shook  off  the  hand  that 
touched  her. 

"  Go  back  to  your  place,"  she  cried,  in  a  smothered 
voice.  "  Leave  me  alone." 

"  Jennie,"  persisted  Wentworth. 

The  young  woman  rose  from  her  chair  and  faced  him, 
stepping  back  a  pace. 

"  Don't  you  hear  what  I  say  ?  Go  back  and  sit  down. 
I  came  here  to  talk  business,  not  to  make  a  fool  of  my- 
self. It's  all  your  fault,  and  I  hate  you  for  it — you 
and  your  silly  questions." 

But  the  young  man  stood  where  he  was,  in  spite  of 
the  dangerous  sparkle  that  shone  in  his  visitor's  wet 
eyes.  A  frown  gathered  on  his  brow. 


"HER   VOICK    I3KOKK,    AND   SHE   BURIED    HER    FACE   IN    HER   ARMS."—  Page  2C)O. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  291 

"  Jennie,"  he  said  slowly,  "  are  you  playing  with  me 
again  ?  " 

The  swift  anger  that  blazed  up  in  her  face,  redden- 
ing her  cheeks,  dried  the  tears. 

"  How  dare  you  say  such  a  thing  to  me  !  "  she  cried 
hotly.  "  Do  you  flatter  yourself  that,  because  I  came 
here  to  talk  business,  I  have  also  some  personal  inter- 
est in  you  ?  Surely  even  your  self-conceit  doesn't  run 
so  far  as  that !  " 

Wentworth  stood  silent,  and  Miss  Brewster  picked 
up  her  parasol,  scattering,  in  her  haste,  the  other  arti- 
cles on  the  floor.  If  she  expected  Wentworth  to  put 
them  on  the  table  again,  she  was  disappointed,  for,  al- 
though his  eyes  were  upon  her,  his  thoughts  were  far 
away  upon  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

"  I  shall  not  stay  here  to  be  insulted,"  she  cried  re- 
sentfully, bringing  Wentworth's  thoughts  back  with  a 
rush  to  London  again.  "  It  is  intolerable  that  you 
should  use  such  an  expression  to  me.  Playing  with 
you  indeed !  " 

"  I  had  no  intention  of  insulting  you,  Miss  Brew- 
ster." 

"  What  is  it  but  an  insult  to  use  such  a  phrase?  It 
implies  that  I  either  care  for  you,  or 

"And  do  you?" 

"Do  I  what?" 

"  Do  you  care  for  me  ?  " 

Jennie  shook  out  the  lace  fringes  of  her  parasol,  and 
smoothed  them  with  some  precision.  Her  eyes  were 
bent  on  what  she  was  doing ;  consequently,  they  did 
not  meet  those  of  her  questioner. 

"  I  care  for  you  as  a  friend,  of  course,"  she  said  at 
last,  still  giving  much  attention  to  the  parasol.  "  If  I 


292  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

had  not  looked  on  you  as  a  friend,  I  would  not  have 
come  here  to  consult  with  you,  would  I  ?  " 

"  No,  I  suppose  not.  Well,  I  am  sorry  I  used  the 
words  that  displeased  you,  and  now,  if  you  will  permit 
it,  we  will  go  on  with  the  consultation." 

"  It  wasn't  a  pretty  thing  to  say." 

"  I'm  afraid  I'm  not  good  at  saying  pretty  things." 

"  You  used  to  be." 

The  parasol  being  arranged  to  her  liking,  she  glanced 
up  at  him. 

"  Still,  you  said  you  were  sorry,  and  that's  all  a  man 
can  say — or  a  woman  either,  for  that's  what  I  said 
myself  when  I  came  in.  Now,  if  you  will  pick  up 
those  things  from  the  floor — thanks — we  will  talk  about 
the  mine." 

Wentworth  seated  himself  again,  and  said : 

"  Well,  what  is  it  you  wish  to  know  about  the  mine  ?  " 

"Nothing  at  all." 

"  But  you  said  you  wanted  information." 

"What  a  funny  reason  to  give!  And  how  a  man 
misses  all  the  fine  points  of  a  conversation  !  No ;  just 
because  I  asked  for  information,  you  might  have  known 
that  was  not  what  I  really  wanted." 

"  I'm  afraid  I'm  very  stupid.  I  hate  to  ask  boldly 
what  you  did  want,  but  I  would  like  to  know." 

"  I  wanted  a  vote  of  confidence.  I  told  you  I  was 
sorry  because  of  a  certain  episode.  I  wished  to  see 
if  you  trusted  me,  and  I  found  you  didn't.  There  !  " 

"  I  think  that  was  hardly  a  fair  test.  You  see,  the 
facts  did  not  belong  to  me  alone." 

Miss   Brewster  sighed,  and   slowly  shook  her  head. 

"  That  wouldn't  have  made  the  least  difference  if  you 
had  really  trusted  me." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  293 

"  Oh,  I  say  !     You  couldn't  expect  a  man  to " 

"  Yes  I  could." 

"  What,  merely  a  friend  ?  " 

Miss  Brewster  nodded. 

"  Well,  all  I  can  say,"  remarked  Wentworth,  with  a 
laugh,  "  is  that  friendship  has  made  greater  strides  in 
the  States  than  it  has  in  this  country." 

Before  Jennie  could  reply,  the  useful  boy  knocked  at 
the  door  and  brought  in  a  tea-tray,  which  he  placed 
before  his  master  ;  then  silently  departed,  closing  the 
door  noiselessly. 

"  May  I  offer  you  a  cup  of  tea?" 

"  Please.  What  a  curious  custom  this  drinking  of 
tea  is  in  business  offices  !  I  think  I  shall  write  an 
article  on  'A  Nation  of  Tea-tipplers.'  If  I  were  an 
enemy  of  England,  instead  of  being  its  greatest  friend, 
I  would  descend  with  my  army  on  this  country  between 
the  hours  of  four  and  five  in  the  afternoon,  and  so  take 
the  population  unawares  while  it  was  drinking  tea. 
What  would  you  do  if  the  enemy  came  down  on  you 
during  such  a  sacred  national  ceremony  ?  " 

"  I  would  offer  her  a  cup  of  tea/'  replied  Wentworth, 
suiting  the  action  to  the  phrase. 

"Mr.  Wentworth,"  said  the  girl  archly,  "you're  im- 
proving. That  remark  was  distinctly  good.  Still,  you 
must  remember  that  I  come  as  a  friend,  not  as  an 
enemy.  Did  you  ever  read  the  '  Babes  in  the  Wood  '  ? 
It  is  a  most  instructive,  but  pathetic,  work  of  fiction. 
You  remember  the  wicked  uncle,  surely  ?  Well,  you  and 
Mr.  Kenyon  remind  me  of  the  '  Babes,'  poor  innocent 
little  things  !  and  London — this  part  of  it — is  the 
dark  and  pathless  forest.  I  am  the  bird  hovering  about 
you,  waiting  to  cover  you  with  leaves.  The  leaves,  to 


294  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

do  any  good,  ought  to  be  cheques  fluttering  down  on 
you,  but  alas!  I  haven't  any.  If  negotiable  cheques 
only  grew  on  trees,  life  would  not  be  so  difficult." 

Miss  Brewster  sipped  her  tea  pensively,  and  Went- 
worth  listened  contentedly  to  the  musical  murmur  of 
her  voice.  Such  an  entrancing  effect  had  it  on  him  that 
he  paid  less  heed  to  what  she  said  than  a  man  ought 
when  a  lady  is  speaking.  The  tea-drinking  had  added 
a  touch  of  domesticity  to  the  tfte-a-tete,  which  rather 
went  to  the  head  of  the  young  man.  He  clinched  and 
unclinched  his  hand  out  of  sight  under  the  table,  and 
felt  the  moisture  on  his  palm.  He  hoped  he  would 
be  able  to  retain  control  over  himself,  but  the  difficulty 
of  his  task  almost  overcame  him  when  she  now  and 
then  appealed  to  him  with  glance  or  gesture,  and  he 
felt  as  if  he  must  cry  out,  "  My  girl,  my  girl,  don't  do 
that,  if  you  expect  me  to  stay  where  I  am." 

"  I  see  you  are  not  paying  the  slightest  attention  to 
what  I  am  saying,"  she  said,  pushing  the  cup  from  her. 
She  rested  her  arms  on  the  table,  leaning  slightly  for- 
ward, and  turning  her  face  full  upon  him  :  "  I  can  tell 
by  your  eyes  that  you  are  thinking  of  something  else." 

"  I  assure  you,"  said  George,  drawing  a  deep  breath, 
"  I  am  listening  with  intense  interest." 

"  Well,  that's  right,  for  what  I  am  going  to  say  is 
important.  Now,  to  wake  you  up,  I  will  first  tell  you 
all  about  your  mine  ;  you  will  understand,  thereafter, 
that  I  did  not  need  to  ask  anyone  for  information 
regarding  it." 

Here,  to  Wentworth's  astonishment,  she  gave  a 
rapid  and  accurate  sketch  of  the  negotiations  and 
arrangements  between  the  three  partners,  and  the 
present  position  of  affairs. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  295 

"  How  do  you  know  all  this?"  he  asked. 

"  Never  mind  that ;  and  you  mustn't  ask  how  I 
know  what  I  am  now  going  to  tell  you,  but  you  must 
believe  it  implicitly,  and  act  upon  it  promptly.  Long- 
worth  is  fooling  both  you  and  Kenyon.  He  is  mark- 
ing time,  so  that  your  option  will  run  out ;  then  he 
will  pay  cash  for  the  mine  at  the  original  price,  and 
you  and  Kenyon  will  be  left  to  pay  two-thirds  of  the 
debt  incurred.  Where  is  Kenyon  ?  " 

"  He  has  gone  to  America." 

"  That's  good.  Cable  him  to  get  the  option  re- 
newed. You  can  then  try  to  form  the  company  your- 
selves in  London.  If  he  can't  obtain  a  renewal,  you 
have  very  little  time  to  get  the  cash  together,  and  if 
you  are  not  able  to  do  that,  then  you  lose  everything. 
This  is  what  I  came  to  tell  you,  although  I  have  been 
a  long  time  about  it.  Now  I  must  go." 

She  rose,  gathered  her  belongings  from  the  table, 
and  stood  with  her  parasol  pressed  against  her.  Went- 
worth  came  around  to  where  she  was  standing,  his  face 
paler  than  usual,  probably  because  of  the  news  he  had 
heard.  One  hand  was  grasped  tightly  around  one 
wrist  in  front  of  him.  He  felt  that  he  should  thank 
her  for  what  she  had  done,  but  his  lips  were  dry,  and, 
somehow,  the  proper  words  were  not  at  his  com- 
mand. 

She,  holding  her  fragile  lace-fringed  parasol  against 
her  with  one  arm,  was  adjusting  her  long  neatly-fitting 
glove,  which  she  had  removed  before  tea.  A  button, 
one  of  many,  was  difficult  to  fasten,  and  as  she 
endeavored  to  put  it  in  its  place,  her  sleeve  fell  away, 
showing  a  round  white  arm  above  the  glove. 

"  You  see,"  she  said,  a  little  breathlessly,  her  eyes 


296  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

upon  her  glove,  "  it  is  a  very  serious  situation,  and 
time  is  of  immense  importance 

"  I  realize  that." 

"  It  would  be  such  a  pity  to  lose  everything  now, 
when  you  have  had  so  much  trouble  and  worry." 

"  It  would." 

"  And  I  think  that  whatever  is  done  should  be  done 
quickly.  You  should  act  at  once  and  with  energy." 

"  I  am  convinced  that  is  so." 

"  Of  course  it  is.  You  are  of  too  trusting  a  nature; 
you  should  be  more  suspicious,  then  you  wouldn't  be 
tricked  as  you  have  been." 

"  No.  The  trouble  is  I  have  been  too  sceptical,  but 
that  is  past.  I  won't  be  again." 

"  What  are  you  talking  about  ? "  she  said,  looking 
quickly  up  at  him.  "  Don't  you  know  you'll  lose  the 
mine  if ' 

"  Hang  the  mine  !  "  he  cried,  flinging  his  wrist  free, 
and  clasping  her  to  him  before  she  could  step  back  or 
move  from  her  place.  "  There  is  something  more  im- 
portant than  mines  or  money." 

The  parasol  broke  with  a  sharp  snap,  and  the  girl 
murmured  "  Oh ! "  but  the  murmur  was  faint. 

"  Never  mind  the  parasol,"  he  said,  pulling  it  from  be- 
tween them  and  tossing  it  aside  ;  "  I'll  get  you  another." 

"  Reckless  man  !  "  she  gasped  ;  "  you  little  know  how 
much  it  cost,  and  I  think,  you  know,  I  ought  to  have 
been  consulted — in  an — in  an — affair  of  this  kind — 
George." 

"  There  was  no  time.  I  acted  upon  your  own  advice — 
promptly.  You  are  not  angry,  Jennie,  my  dear  girl, 
are  you  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  I'm  not,  though  I  think  I  ought  to  be ; 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  297 

especially  as  I  know  only  too  well  that  I  held  my  heart 
in  my  hand  the  whole  time,  almost  offering  it  to  you. 
I  hope  you  won't  treat  it  as  you  have  treated  the  sun- 
shade." 

He  kissed  her  for  answer. 

"  You  see,"  she  said,  putting  his  necktie  straight,  "  I 
liked  you  from  the  very  first,  far  more  than  I  knew  at 
the  time.  If  you — I'm  not  trying  to  justify  myself, 
you  know — but  if  you  had,  well,  just  coaxed  me  a  little 
yourself,  I  would  never  have  sent  that  cable  message. 
You  seemed  to  give  up  everything,  and  you  sent  Ken- 
yon  to  me,  and  that  made  me  angry.  I  expected  you 
to  come  back  to  me,  but  you  never  came." 

"  I  was  a  stupid  fool.  I  always  am  when  I  get  a 
fair  chance." 

"  Oh  no,  you're  not,  but  you  do  need  someone  to 
take  care  of  you." 

She  suddenly  held  him  at  arm's  length  from  her. 

"You  don't  imagine  for  a  moment,  George  Went- 
worth,  that  I  came  here  to-day  for — for  this." 

"  Certainly  not !  "  cried  the  honest  young  man,  with 
much  indignant  fervor,  drawing  her  again  towards  him. 

"  Then  it's  all  right.  I  couldn't  bear  to  have  you 
think  such  a  thing,  especially — well,  I'll  tell  you  why 
some  day.  But  I  do  wish  you  had  a  title.  Do  they 
ever  ennoble  accountants  in  this  country,  George  ?  " 

"  No  ;  they  knight  only  rich  fools/' 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  of  that :  for  you'll  get  rich  on  the 
mine,  and  I'll  be  Lady  Wentworth  yet." 

Then  she  drew  his  head  down  until  her  laughing  lips 
touched  his. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

ALTHOUGH  the  steamship  that  took  Kenyon  to 
America  was  one  of  the  speediest  in  the  Atlantic  service, 
yet  the  voyage  was  inexpressibly  dreary  to  him.  He 
spent  most  of  his  time  walking  up  and  down  the  deck, 
thinking  about  the  other  voyage  of  a  few  months  before. 
The  one  consolation  of  Mis  present  trip  was  its  quickness. 

When  he  arrived  at  his  hotel  in  New  York,  he  asked 
if  there  was  any  message  there  for  him,  and  the  clerk 
handed  him  an  envelope,  which  he  tore  open.  It  was 
a  cable  dispatch  from  Wentworth,  with  the  words : 

"  Longworth  at  Windsor.  Proceed  to  Ottawa  imme- 
diately. Get  option  renewed.  Longworth  duping  us." 

John  knitted  his  brows  and  wondered  where  Wind- 
sor was.  The  clerk,  seeing  his  perplexity,  asked  if  he 
could  be  of  any  assistance. . 

"  I  have  received  this  cablegram,  but  don't  quite 
understand  it.  Where  is  Windsor?  " 

"  Oh,  that  means  the  Windsor  Hotel.  Just  up  the 
street." 

Kenyon  registered,  told  the  clerk  to  assign  him  a 
room,  and  send  his  baggage   up  to  it  when  it  came. 
Then  he  walked  out  from  the  hotel  and  sought  the 
Windsor. 
298 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  299 

He  found  that  colossal  hostelry,  and  was  just  inquir- 
ing of  the  clerk  whether  a  Mr.  Longworth  was  staying 
there,  when  that  gentleman  appeared  at  the  desk,  took 
some  letters  and  his  key. 

Kenyon  tapped  him  on  the  shoulder. 

Young  Longworth  turned  round  with  more  alacrity 
than  he  usually  displayed,  and  gave  a  long  whistle  of 
surprise  when  he  saw  who  it  was. 

"  In  the  name  of  all  the  gods,"  he  cried,  "  what  are 
you  doing  here?"  Then,  before  Kenyon  could  reply, 
he  said  :  "  Come  up  to  my  room." 

They  went  to  the  elevator,  rose  a  few  stories,  and 
passed  down  an  apparently  endless  hall,  carpeted  with 
some  noiseless  stuff  that  gave  no  echo  of  the  footfall. 
Longworth  put  the  key  into  his  door  and  opened  it. 
They  entered  a  large  and  pleasant  room. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  this  is  a  surprise.  What  is  the 
reason  of  your  being  here  ?  Anything  wrong  in  Lon- 
don ?  " 

"  Nothing  wrong,  so  far  as  I  am  aware.  We  re- 
ceived no  cablegram  from  you,  and  thought  there 
might  be  some  hitch  in  the  business  ;  therefore  I  came." 

"  Ah,  I  see.  I  cabled  over  to  your  address,  and  said 
I  was  staying  at  the  Windsor  for  a  few  days.  I  sent  a 
cablegram  almost  as  long  as  a  letter,  but  it  didn't  ap- 
pear to  do  any  good." 

"  No,  I  did  not  receive  it." 

"And  what  did  you  expect  was  wrong  over  here?" 

"That  I  did  not  know.  I  knew  you  had  time  to  get 
to  Ottawa  and  see  the  mine  in  twelve  days  from  Lon- 
don. Not  hearing  from  you  in  that  time,  and  know- 
ing the  option  was  running  out,  both  Wentworth  and 
I  became  anxious,  and  so  I  came  over." 


300  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Exactly.  Well,  I'm  afraid  you've  had  your  trip 
for  nothing." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  Is  not  the  mine  all  I  said  it 
was?" 

"  Oh,  the  mine  is  all  right ;  all  I  meant  was,  there 
was  really  no  necessity  for  your  coming." 

"  But,  you  know,  the  option  ends  in  a  very  short 
time." 

"  Well,  the  option,  like  the  mine,  is  all  right.  I 
think  you  might  quite  safely  have  left  it  in  my  hands." 

It  must  be  admitted  that  John  Kenyon  began  to  feel 
he  had  acted  with  unreasonable  rashness  in  taking  his 
long  voyage. 

"  Is  Mr.  Melville  here  with  you  ?" 

"  Melville  has  returned  home.  He  had  not  time  to 
stay  longer.  All  he  wanted  was  to  satisfy  himself  about 
the  mine.  He  was  satisfied,  and  he  has  gone  home. 
If  you  were  in  London  now,  you  would  be  able  to  see 
him." 

"  Did  you  meet  Mr.  Von  Brent  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  took  us  to  the  mine." 

"  And  did  you  say  anything  about  the  option  to 
him?" 

"  Well,  we  had  some  conversation  about  it.  There 
will  be  no  trouble  about  the  option.  What  Von  Brent 
wants  is  to  sell  his  mine,  that  is  all."  There  was  a  few 
moments'  silence,  then  Longworth  said  :  "  When  are 
you  going  back  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know.  I  think  I  ought  to  see  Von  Brent. 
I  am  not  at  all  easy  about  leaving  matters  as  they  are. 
I  think  I  ought  to  get  a  renewal  of  the  option.  It  is 
not  wise  to  risk  things  as  we  are  doing.  Von  Brent 
might  at  any  time  get  an  offer  for  his  mine,  just  as  we 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  301 

are  forming  our  company,  and,  of  course,  if  the  option 
had  not  been  renewed,  he  would  sell  to  the  first  man 
who  put  down  the  money.  As  you  say,  all  he  wants 
is  to  sell  his  mine." 

Longworth  was  busy  opening  his  letters,  and  ap- 
parently paying  very  little  attention  to  what  Kenyon 
said.  At  last,  however,  he  spoke : 

"  If  I  were  you — if  you  care  to  take  my  advice — I 
would  go  straight  back  to  England.  You  will  do  no 
good  here.  I  merely  say  this  to  save  you  any  further 
trouble,  time,  and  expense." 

"  Don't  you  think  it  would  be  as  well  to  get  a  renewal 
of  the  option  ?  " 

"  Oh,  certainly ;  but,  as  I  told  you  before,  it  was  not 
at  all  necessary  for  you  to  come  over.  I  may  say, 
furthermore,  that  Von  Brent  will  not  again  renew  the 
option  without  a  handsome  sum  down,  to  be  forfeited 
if  the  company  is  not  formed.  Have  you  the  money 
to  pay  him  ?  " 

"  No,  I  have  not." 

"  Very  well,  then,  why  waste  time  and  money  going 
to  Ottawa?"  Young  Mr.  Longworth  arched  his  eye- 
brows and  gazed  at  John  through  his  eyeglass.  "  I 
will  let  you  have  my  third  of  the  money,  if  that  will 
do  any  good." 

"  How  much  money  does  Von  Brent  want  ?" 

"  How  should  I  know  ?  To  tell  you  the  truth,  Mr. 
Kenyon — and  truth  never  hurts,  or  oughtn't  to — I  don't 
at  all  like  this  visit  to  America.  You  and  Mr.  Went- 
worth  have  been  good  enough  to  be  suspicious  about 
me  from  the  very  first.  You  have  not  taken  any  pains 
to  conceal  it,  either  of  you.  Your  appearance  in 
America  at  this  particular  juncture  is  nothing  more  nor 


302  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

less  than  an  insult  to  me.  I  intend  to  receive  it  as 
such." 

"  I  have  no  intention  of  insulting  you,"  said  Kenyon, 
"  if  you  are  dealing  fairly  with  me." 

"There  it  is  again.  That  remark  is  an  insult. 
Everything  you  say  is  a  reflection  upon  me.  I  wish  to 
have  nothing  more  to  say  to  you.  I  give  you  my 
advice  that  it  is  better  for  you,  and  cheaper,  to  go  back 
to  London.  You  need  not  act  on  it  unless  you  like.  I 
have  nothing  further  to  say  to  you,  and  so  this  inter- 
view may  be  considered  closed." 

"  And  how  about  the  mine  ?  " 

"  I  imagine  the  mine  will  take  care  of  itself." 

"  Do  you  think  this  is  courteous  treatment  of  a 
business  partner?  " 

"  My  dear  sir,  I  do  not  take  my  lessons  in  courtesy 
from  you.  Whether  you  are  pleased  or  displeased  with 
my  treatment  of  you  is  a  matter  of  supreme  indifference 
to  me.  I  am  tired  of  living  in  an  atmosphere  of 
suspicion,  and  I  have  done  with  it — that  is  all.  You 
think  some  game  is  being  played  on  you — both  you  and 
Mr.  Wentworth  think  that — and  yet  you  haven't  the 
'  cuteness,'  as  they  call  it  here,  or  sharpness,  to  find  it 
out.  Now,  a  man  who  has  suspicions  he  cannot  prove 
to  be  well  founded,  should  keep  those  suspicions  to 
himself  until  he  can  prove  them.  That  is  my  advice 
to  you.  I  wish  you  a  good-day." 

John  Kenyon  walked  back  to  his  hotel  with  more 
misgivings  than  ever.  He  wrote  a  letter  to  Wentworth, 
detailing  the  conversation,  telling  him  Melville  had 
sailed  for  home,  and  advising  him  to  see  that  gentleman 
when  he  arrived.  He  stayed  in  New  York  that  night, 
and  took  the  morning  train  to  Montreal.  In  due  time 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  303 

he  arrived  at  Ottawa,  and  called  on  Von  Brent.  He 
found  that  gentleman  in  his  chambers,  looking  as  if 
he  had  never  left  the  room  since  the  option  was  signed. 
Von  Brent  at  first  did  not  recognize  his  visitor,  but 
after  gazing  a  moment  at  him  he  sprang  from  his  chair 
and  held  out  his  hand. 

"  I  really  did  not  know  you,"  he  said  ;  "you  have 
changed  a  great  deal  since  I  saw  you  last.  You  look 
haggard,  and  not  at  all  well.  What  is  the  matter 
with  you?" 

"  I  do  not  think  anything  is  the  matter.  I  am  in 
very  good  health,  thank  you  ;  I  have  had  a  few  business 
worries,  that  is  all." 

"  Ah,  yes,"  said  Von  Brent ;  "  I  am  very  sorry  in- 
deed you  failed  to  form  your  company." 

"  Failed  !  "  echoed  Kenyon. 

"  Yes  ;  you  haven't  succeeded,  have  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  about  that ;  we  are  in  a  fair 
way  to  succeed.  You  met  Longworth  and  Melville, 
who  came  out  to  see  the  mine  ?  I  saw  Longworth 
in  New  York,  and  he  told  me  you  had  taken  them 
out  there." 

"Are  they  interested  with  you  in  the  mine?  " 

"  Certainly ;  they  are  helping  me  to  form  the 
company." 

Von  Brent  seemed  amazed. 

"  I  did  not  understand  that  at  all.  In  fact,  I  under- 
stood the  exact  opposite.  I  thought  you  had  at- 
tempted to  form  a  company,  and  failed.  They  showed 
me  an  attack  in  one  of  the  financial  papers  upon  you, 
and  said  that  killed  your  chances  of  forming  a  company 
in  London.  They  were  here,  apparently,  on  their  own 
business." 


304  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  And  what  was  their  business?  " 

"To  buy  the  mine." 

"  Have  they  bought  it?  " 

"  Practically,  yes.  Of  course,  while  your  option 
holds  good  I  cannot  sell  it,  but  that,  as  you  know, 
expires  in  a  very  few  days." 

Kenyon,  finding  his  worst  suspicions  confirmed, 
seemed  speechless  with  amazement,  and  in  his  agony 
mopped  from  his  brow  the  drops  collected  there. 

"  You  appear  to  be  astonished  at  this,"  said  Von 
Brent. 

"  I  am  very  much  astonished." 

"  Well,  you  cannot  blame  me.  I  have  acted  perfectly 
square  in  the  matter.  I  had  no  idea  Longworth,  and 
the  gentleman  who  was  with  him,  had  any  connection 
with  you  whatever.  Their  attention  had  been  drawn 
to  the  mine,  they  said,  by  that  article.  They  had 
investigated  it,  and  appeared  to  be  satisfied  there  was 
something  in  it — in  the  mine,  I  mean,  not  in  the 
article.  They  said  they  had  attended  a  meeting  which 
you  had  called,  but  it  was  quite  evident  you  were  not 
going  to  be  able  to  form  the  company.  So  they  came 
here  and  made  me  a  cash  offer  for  the  mine.  They 
have  deposited  twenty  thousand  pounds  at  the  bank 
here,  and  on  the  day  your  option  closes  they  will  give 
me  a  cheque  for  the  amount." 

"  It  serves  me  right,"  said  Kenyon.  "  I  have  been 
cheated  and  duped.  I  had  grave  suspicions  of  it  all 
along,  but  I  did  not  act  upon  them.  I  have  been  too 
timorous  and  cowardly.  This  man  Longworth  has 
made  a  pretence  of  helping  me  to  form  a  company. 
Everything  he  has  done  has  been  to  delay  me.  He 
came  out  here,  apparently,  in  the  interests  of  the 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  305 

company  I  was  forming,  and  now  he  has  got  the 
option  for  himself." 

"  Yes,  he  has,"  said  Von  Brent.  "  I  may  say  I  am 
very  sorry  indeed  for  the  turn  affairs  have  taken.  Of 
course,  as  I  have  told  you,  I  had  no  idea  how  the 
land  lay.  You  see,  you  had  no  deposit  with  me,  and 
I  had  to  look  after  my  own  interests.  However, 
the  option  is  open  for  a  few  days  more,  and  I  will 
not  turn  the  mine  over  to  them  till  the  last  minute  of 
the  time  has  expired.  Isn't  there  any  chance  of  your 
getting  the  money  before  then  ?  " 

"  Not  the  slightest." 

"Well,  you  see,  in  that  case  I  cannot  help  myself. 
I  am  bound  by  a  legal  document  to  turn  the  mine 
over  to  them  on  receipt  of  the  twenty  thousand  pounds 
the  moment  your  option  is  ended.  Everything  is  done 
legally,  and  I  am  perfectly  helpless  in  the  matter." 

"Yes,  I  see  that,"  said  John.     "  Good-bye." 

He  went  to  the  telegraph-office  and  sent  a  cablegram. 

Wentworth  received  the  message  in  London  the 
next  morning.  It  read  : 

"  We  are  cheated.  Longworth  has  the  option  on 
the  mine  in  his  own  name." 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

WHEN  George  Wentworth  received  this  message,  he 
read  it  several  times  over  before  its  full  meaning 
dawned  upon  him.  Then  he  paced  up  and  down  his 
room,  and  gave  way  to  his  feelings.  His  best  friends, 
who  had  been  privileged  to  hear  George's  vocabulary 
when  he  was  rather  angry,  admitted  that  the  young 
man  had  a  fluency  of  expression  which  was  very  much 
more  terse  than  proper.  When  the  real  significance 
of  the  despatch  became  apparent  to  him,  George  outdid 
himself  in  this  particular  line.  Then  he  realized  that, 
however  consolatory  such  language  is  to  a  very  angry 
man,  it  does  little  good  in  any  practical  way.  He 
paced  silently  up  and  down  the  room,  wondering  what 
he  could  do,  and  the  more  he  wondered  the  less  light 
he  saw  through  the  fog.  He  put  on  his  hat  and  went 
into  the  other  room. 

"  Henry,"  he  said  to  his  partner,  "  do  you  know  any- 
body who  would  lend  me  twenty  thousand  pounds?" 

Henry  laughed.  The  idea  of  anybody  lending  that 
sum  of  money,  except  on  the  very  best  security,  \ras 
in  itself  extremely  comic. 

"  Do  you  want  it  to-day  ?  "  he  said. 

"  Yes,  I  want  it  to-day." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  any  better  plan  than  to  go  out 
306 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  307 

into  the  street  and  ask  every  man  you  meet  if  he  has 
that  sum  about  him.  You  are  certain  to  encounter 
men  who  have  very  much  more  than  twenty  thousand 
pounds,  and  perhaps  one  of  them,  struck  by  your  very 
sane  appearance  at  the  moment,  might  hand  over  the 
sum  to  you.  I  think,  however,  George,  that  you  would 
be  more  successful  if  you  met  the  capitalist  in  a 
secluded  lane  some  dark  night,  and  had  a  good  reliable 
club  in  your  hand." 

"  You  are  right,"  said  George.  "  Of  course,  there  is 
just  as  much  possibility  of  my  reaching  the  moon  as 
getting  that  sum  of  money  on  short  notice.',' 

"Yes,  or  on  long  notice  either,  I  imagine.  I  know 
plenty  of  men  who  have  the  money,  but  I  wouldn't 
undertake  to  ask  them  for  it,  and  I  don't  believe  you 
would.  Still,  there  is  nothing  like  trying.  He  who 
tries  may  succeed,  but  no  one  can  succeed  who  doesn't 
try.  Why  not  go  to  old  Longworth  ?  He  could  let 
you  have  the  money  in  a  moment  if  he  wanted  to 
do  so.  He  knows  you.  What's  your  security  ?  What 
are  you  going  to  do  with  it — that  eternal  mine  of 
yours  ?  " 

"Yes,  that  'eternal  mine';  I  want  it  to  be  mine. 
That  is  why  I  need  the  twenty  thousand  pounds." 

"  Well,  George,  I  don't  see  much  hope  for  you.  You 
never  spoke  to  old  Longworth  about  it,  did  you  ?  He 
wasn't  one  of  the  men  you  intended  to  get  into  this 
company  ?  " 

"  No,  he  was  not.  I  wish  he  had  been.  He  would  have 
treated  us  better  than  his  rascally  nephew  has  done." 

"Ah,  that  immaculate  young  man  has  been  playing 
you  tricks,  has  he?  " 

"  He  has  played  me  one  trick,  which  is  enough." 


3o8  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Well,  why  don't  you  go  and  see  the  old  man,  and 
lay  the  case  before  him?  He  treats  that  nephew  as  if 
he  were  his  son!  Now,  a  man  will  do  a  great  deal  for 
his  son,  and  perhaps  old  Longworth  might  do  some- 
thing for  his  nephew." 

"  Yes  ;  but  I  should  have  to  explain  to  him  that  his 
nephew  is  a  scoundrel." 

"  Very  well ;  that  is  just  the  kind  of  explanation  to 
bring  the  twenty  thousand  pounds.  If  his  nephew 
really  is  a  scoundrel,  and  you  can  prove  it,  you  could 
not  want  a  better  lever  than  that  on  the  old  man's 
money-bags." 

"  By  Jove  I  "  said  Wentworth,  "  I  believe  I  shall  try 
it.  I  want  to  let  him  know,  anyhow,  what  sort  of  man 
his  nephew  is.  I'll  go  and  see  him." 

"  I  would,"  said  the  other,  turning  to  his  work. 

And  so  George  Wentworth,  putting  the  cablegram 
in  his  pocket,  went  to  see  old  Mr.  Longworth  in  a 
frame  of  mind  in  which  no  man  should  see  his  fellow- 
man.  He  did  not  wait  to  be  announced,  but  walked, 
to  the  astonishment  of  the  clerk,  straight  through  into 
Mr.  Longworth's  room.  He  found  the  old  man  seated 
at  his  desk. 

"Good-day,  Mr.  Wentworth,"  said  the  financier 
cordially. 

"  Good-day,"  replied  George  curtly.  "  I  have  come 
to  read  a  cable  despatch  to  you,  or  to  let  you  read  it." 

He  threw  the  paper  down  before  the  old  gentle- 
man, who  adjusted  his  spectacles  and  read  it.  Then 
he  looked  up  inquiringly  at  Wentworth. 

"You  don't  understand  it,  do  you?"  said  the  latter. 

"  I  confess  I  do  not.  The  Longworth  in  this  tele- 
gram does  not  refer  to  me,  does  it  ?  " 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  309 

"  No,  it  does  not  refer  to  you,  but  it  refers  to  one 
of  your  house.  Your  nephew,  William  Longworth,  is 
a  scoundrel ! " 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  old  man,  placing  the  despatch  on 
the  desk  again,  and  removing  his  glasses,  "  have  you 
come  to  tell  me  that  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  have.     Did  you  know  it  before  ?  " 

"No,  I  did  not,"  answered  the  old  gentleman,  his 
color  rising  ;  "  and  I  do  not  know  it  now.  I  know 
you  say  so,  and  I  think  very  likely  you  will  be  glad  to 
take  back  what  you  have  said.  I  will  at  least  give 
you  the  opportunity." 

"  So  far  from  taking  it  back,  Mr.  Longworth,  I  shall 
prove  it.  Your  nephew  formed  a  partnership  with  my 
friend  Kenyon  and  myself  to  float  on  the  London 
market  a  certain  Canadian  mine." 

"  My  dear  sir,"  broke  in  the  old  gentleman,  "  I  have 
no  desire  to  hear  of  my  nephew's  private  speculations  ; 
I  have  nothing  to  do  with  them.  I  have  nothing  to 
do  with  your  mine.  The  matter  is  of  no  interest 
whatever  to  me,  and  I  must  decline  to  hear  anything 
about  it.  You  are,  also,  if  you  will  excuse  my  saying 
so,  not  in  a  fit  state  of  temper  to  talk  to  any  gentle- 
man. If  you  like  to  come  back  here  when  you  are 
calmer,  I  shall  be  very  pleased  to  listen  to  what  you 
have  to  say." 

"  I  shall  never  be  any  calmer  on  this  subject.  I  have 
told  you  that  your  nephew  is  a  scoundrel.  You  are 
pleased  to  deny  the  accusation." 

"  I  do  not  deny  it ;  I  merely  said  I  did  not  know  it 
was  the  case,  and  I  do  not  believe  it,  that  is  all." 

"  Very  well ;  the  moment  I  begin  to  show  you  proof 
that  things  are  as  I  say " 


310  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  My  dear  sir,"  cried  the  elder  man,  with  some  heat, 
"you  are  not  showing  proof.  You  are  merely  making 
assertions,  and  assertions  about  a  man  who  is  absent 
— who  is  not  here  to  defend  himself.  If  you  have  any- 
thing to  say  against  William  Longworth,  come  and  say 
it  when  he  is  here,  and  he  shall  answer  for  himself.  It 
is  cowardly  of  you,  and  ungenerous  to  me,  to  make  a 
number  of  accusations  which  I  am  in  no  wise  able  to 
refute." 

"  Will  you  listen  to  what  I  have  to  say  ?  " 

"No,  I  will  not." 

"  Then,  by  God,  you  shall !  "  and  with  that  Went- 
worth  strode  to  the  door  and  turned  the  key,  while  the 
old  man  man  rose  from  his  seat  and  faced  him. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  threaten  me,  sir,  in  my  own 
office?" 

"  I  mean  to  say,  Mr.  Longworth,  that  I  have  made 
a  statement  which  I  am  going  to  prove  to  you.  I 
mean  that  you  shall  listen  to  me,  and  listen  to  me 
now  !  " 

"  And  I  say,  if  you  have  anything  to  charge  against 
my  nephew,  come  and  say  it  when  he  is  here." 

"  When  he  is  here,  Mr.  Longwo/th,  it  will  be  too  late 
to  say  it ;  at  present  you  can  repair  the  injury  he  has 
done.  When  he  returns  to  England  you  cannot  do 
so,  no  matter  how  much  you  might  wish  to  make  the 
attempt." 

The  old  man  stood  irresolute  for  a  moment,  then  he 
sat  down  in  his  chair  again. 

"  Very  well,"  he  said,  with  a  sigh ;  "  I  am  not  so 
combative  as  I  once  was.  Go  on  with  your  story." 

"My  story  is  very  short,"  said  Wentworth ;  "it 
simply  amounts  to  this :  You  know  your  nephew 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  311 

formed  a  partnership  with  us  in  relation  to  the  Cana- 
dian mine?  " 

"  I  know  nothing  about  it,  I  tell  you,"  answered  Mr. 
Longworth. 

"  Very  well,  you  know  it  now." 

"  I  know  you  say  so." 

"  Do  you  doubt  my  word  ?  " 

"  I  shall  tell  you  more  definitely  when  I  hear  what 
you  have  to  say.  Go  on." 

"  Well,  your  nephew,  pretending  to  aid  us  in  forming 
this  company,  did  everything  to  retard  our  progress. 
He  engaged  offices  that  took  a  long  time  to  fit  up,  and 
which  we  had  at  last  to  take  in  hand  ourselves.  Then 
he  left  for  a  week,  leaving  us  no  address,  and  refusing 
to  answer  the  letters  I  sent  to  his  office  for  him.  On 
one  pretext  or  another,  the  forming  of  the  company 
was  delayed,  until  at  length,  when  the  option  by  which 
Mr.  Kenyon  held  the  mine  had  less  than  a  month  to 
run,  your  nephew  went  to  America  in  company  with 
Mr.  Melville,  ostensibly  to  see  and  report  upon  the 
property.  After  waiting  a  certain  length  of  time  and 
hearing  nothing  from  him  (he  had  promised  to  cable 
us),  Kenyon  went  to  America  to  get  a  renewal  of  the 
option.  This  cablegram  explains  his  success.  He 
finds,  on  going  there,  that  your  nephew  has  secured  the 
option  of  the  mine  in  his  own  name,  and,  as  Kenyon 
says,  we  are  cheated.  Now  have  you  any  doubt 
whether  your  nephew  is  a  scoundrel  or  not?" 

Mr.  Longworth  mused  for  a  few  moments  on  what 
the  young  man  had  told  him. 

"  If  what  you  say  is  exactly  true,  there  is  no  doubt 
William  has  been  guilty  of  a  piece  of  very  sharp 
practice." 


312  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Sharp  practice  !  "  cried  the  other.  "  You  might  as 
well  call  robbery  sharp  practice  !  " 

"  My  dear  sir,  I  have  listened  to  you  ;  now  I  ask  you 
to  listen  to  me.  If,  as  I  say,  what  you  have  stated  is 
true,  my  nephew  has  done  something  which  I  think  an 
honorable  man  would  not  do ;  but  as  to  that  I  cannot 
judge  until  I  hear  his  side  of  the  story.  It  may  put  a 
different  complexion  on  the  matter,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  it  will ;  but  even  granting  your  version  is  true  in 
every  particular,  what  have  I  to  do  with  it  ?  I  am  not 
responsible  for  my  nephew's  actions.  He  has  entered 
into  a  business  connection,  it  seems,  with  two  young 
men,  and  has  outwitted  them.  That  is  probably  what 
the  world  would  say  about  it.  Perhaps,  as  you  say,  he 
has  been  guilty  of  something  worse,  and  has  cheated 
his  partners.  But  even  admitting  everything  to  be 
true,  I  do  not  see  how  I  am  responsible  in  any  way." 

"  Legally,  you  are  not ;  morally,  I  think  you  are." 

"Why?" 

"  If  he  were  your  son " 

"  But  he  is  not  my  son  ;  he  is  my  nephew." 

"  If  your  son  had  committed  a  theft,  would  you  not 
do  everything  in  your  power  to  counteract  the  evil  he 
had  done?" 

"  I  might,  and  I  might  not.  Some  fathers  pay  their 
sons'  debts,  others  do  not.  I  cannot  say  what  action 
I  should  take  in  a  purely  imaginary  case." 

"  Very  well ;  all  I  have  to  say  is,  our  option  runs  out 
in  two  or  three  days.  Twenty  thousand  pounds  will 
secure  the  mine  for  us.  I  want  that  twenty  thousand 
pounds  before  the  option  ceases." 

"And  do  you  'expect  me  to  pay  you  twenty  thou- 
sand pounds  for  this  ?  " 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  313 

"Yes,  I  do." 

Old  Mr.  Longworth  leaned  back^in  his  office  chair, 
and  looked  at  the  young  man  in  amazement." 

"  To  think  that  you,  a  man  of  the  City,  would  come 
to  me,  another  man  of  the  City,  with  such  an  absurd 
idea  in  your  head,  is  simply  grotesque." 

"  Then  the  name  of  the  Longworths  is  nothing  to 
you — the  good  name,  I  mean  ?  " 

"  The  good  name  of  the  Longworths,  my  dear  sir,  is 
everything  to  me ;  but  I  fancy  it  will  be  able  to  take 
care  of  itself  without  any  assistance  from  you." 

There  was  silence  for  a  few  moments.  Then  Went- 
worth  said  in  a  voice  of  suppressed  anguish  : 

"  I  thought,  Mr.  Longworth,  one  of  your  family  was 
a  scoundrel ;  I  now  wish  to  say  I  believe  the  epithet 
covers  uncle  as  well  as  nephew.  You  have  had  a 
chance  to  repair  the  mischief  a  member  of  your  family 
has  done.  You  have  answered  me  with  contempt. 
You  have  not  shown  the  slightest  indication  of  wish- 
ing to  make  amends." 

He  unlocked  the  door. 

"  Come,  now," said  old  Mr.  Longworth,  rising,  "that 
will  do,  that  will  do,  Mr.  Wentworth."  Then  he 
pressed  an  electric  bell,  and,  when  the  clerk  appeared, 
he  said :  "  Show  this  gentleman  the  door,  please,  and 
if  ever  he  calls  here  again,  do  not  admit  him." 

And  so  George  Wentworth,  clenching  his  hands  with 
rage,  was  shown  to  the  door.  He  had  the  rest  of  the 
day  to  ponder  on  the  fact  that  an  angry  ma.i  seldom 
accomplishes  his  purpose. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE  stormy  interview  with  Wentworth  disturbed  the 
usual  serenity  of  Mr.  Longworth's  temper.  He  went 
home  earlier  than  was  customary  with  him  that  night, 
and  the  more  he  thought  over  the  attack,  the  more 
unjustifiable  it  seemed.  He  wondered  what  his 
nephew  had  really  done,  and  tried  to  remember  what 
Wentworth  had  charged  against  him.  He  could  not 
recollect,  the  angrier  portions  of  the  interview  having, 
as  it  were,  blotted  the  charges  from  his  mind.  There 
remained,  however,  a  very  bitter  resentment  against 
Wentworth.  Mr.  Longworth  searched  his  conscience 
to  see  if  he  could  be  in  the  least  to  blame,  but  he 
found  nothing  in  the  recollections  of  his  dealings  with 
the  young  men  to  justify  him  in  feeling  at  all  respon- 
sible for  the  disaster  that  had  overtaken  them.  He 
read  his  favorite  evening  paper  with  less  than  his 
usual  interest,  for  every  now  and  then  the  episode  in  his 
office  would  occur  to  him.  Finally  he  said  sharply  : 

"  Edith !  " 

"Yes,  father,"  answered  his  daughter. 

"  You  remember  a  person  named  Wentworth,  whom 
you  had  here  the  evening  William  went  away  ?  " 

"  Yes,  father." 

"  Very  well.  Never  invite  him  to  this  house  again." 
314 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  315 

"What  has  he  been  doing?"  asked  the  young 
woman  in  rather  a  tremulous  voice. 

"  I  desire  you  also  never  to  ask  anyone  connected 
with  him — that  man  Kenyon,  for  instance,"  continued 
her  father,  ignoring  her  question. 

"  I  thought,"  she  answered,  "  that  Mr.  Kenyon  was 
not  in  this  country  at  present." 

"  He  is  not,  but  he  will  be  back  again,  I  suppose.  At 
any  rate,  I  wish  to  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  those 
people.  You  understand  that  ?  " 

"  Yes,  father." 

Mr.  Longworth  went  on  with  his  reading.  Edith 
saw  her  father  was  greatly  disturbed,  and  eagerly 
desired  to  know  the  reason,  but  knew  enough  of 
human  nature  to  understand  that  in  a  short  time  he 
urould  relieve  her  anxiety.  He  again  appeared  to  be 
trying  to  fix  his  attention  on  the  paper.  At  length 
he  threw  it  down,  and  turned  towards  her. 

"  That  man,  Wentworth,"  he  said  bitterly,  "  behaved 
to-day  in  a  most  unjustifiable  manner  to  me  in  my 
own  office.  It  seems  that  William  and  he  and  Kenyon 
embarked  in  some  mine  project.  I  knew  nothing  of 
their  doings,  and  was  not  even  consulted  with  regard 
to  them.  Now  it  appears  William  has  gone  to  America 
and  done  something  Wentworth  considers  wrong. 
Wentworth  came  to  me  and  demanded  twenty  thou- 
sand pounds — the  most  preposterous  thing  ever  heard 
of — said  I  owed  it  to  clear  the  good  name  of  Long- 
worth.  As  if  the  good  name  were  dependent  on  him, 
or  anyone  like  him  !  I  turned  him  out  of  the  office." 

Edith  did  not  answer  for  a  few  moments,  while  her 
father  gave  expression  to  his  indignation  by  various 
ejaculations  that  need  not  be  here  recorded. 


316  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"Did  he  say,"  she  spoke  at  length,  "in  what  way 
William  had  done  wrong?  " 

"  I  do  not  remember  now  just  what  he  said.  I  know 
I  told  him  to  come  again  when  my  nephew  was  present, 
and  then  make  his  charges  against  him  if  he  wanted  to 
do  so.  Not  that  I  admitted  I  had  anything  to  do 
with  the  matter  at  all,  but  I  simply  refused  to  listen  to 
charges  against  an  absent  man.  I  paid  no  attention 
to  them." 

"  That  certainly  was  reasonable,"  replied  Edith. 
"  What  did  he  say  to  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  abused  me,  and  abused  William,  and  went 
on  at  a  dreadful  rate,  until  I  was  obliged  to  order  him 
out  of  the  office." 

"  But  what  did  he  say  about  meeting  William  when 
he  returned  and  making  the  charges  against  him  then  ?  " 

"What  did  he  say?  I  don't  remember.  Oh  yes ! 
he  said  it  would  be  too  late  then  ;  that  they  had  only 
a  few  days  to  do  what  business  they  have  to  do,  and 
that  is  why  he  made  the  demand  for  twenty  thousand 
pounds.  It  was  to  repair  the  harm,  whatever  the 
harm  was,  William  had  done.  I  look  on  it  simply  as 
some  blackmailing  scheme  of  his,  and  I  am  astonished 
that  a  man  belonging  to  so  good  a  house  as  he  does 
should  try  that  game  with  me.  I  shall  speak  to  the 
elder  partner  about  it  to-morrow,  and  if  he  does  not 
make  the  young  man  apologize  in  the  most  abject 
manner  he  will  be  the  loser  by  it,  I  can  tell  him  that." 

"  I  would  think  no  more  about  it,  father,  if  I  were 
you.  Do  not  let  it  trouble  you  in  the  least." 

"  Oh,  it  doesn't  trouble  me,  but  young  men  nowadays 

seem  to  think  they  can  say  anything  to  their  elders." 

'  I  mean,"  she  continued,  "  that  I  would  not  go  to  his 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  317 

partner  for  a  day  or  two.  Wait  and  see  what  happens. 
I  have  no  doubt,  when  he  considers  the  matter,  he 
will  be  thoroughly  ashamed  of  himself. 

"Well,  I  hope  so." 

"  Then  give  him  the  chance  of  being  ashamed  of  him- 
self, and  take  no  further  steps  in  the  meantime." 

Edith  shortly  afterwards  went  to  her  own  room  ; 
there,  clasping  her  hands  behind  her,  she  walked  up 
and  down  thinking,  with  a  very  troubled  heart,  of 
what  she  had  heard.  Her  view  of  the  occurrence  was 
very  different  from  that  taken  by  her  father.  She  felt 
certain  something  dishonorable  had  been  done  by  her 
cousin.  For  a  long  time  she  had  mistrusted  his  sup- 
posed friendship  for  the  two  young  men,  and  now  she 
pictured  to  herself  John  Kenyon  in  the  wilds  of 
Canada,  helpless  and  despondent  because  of  the  great 
wrong  that  had  been  done  him.  It  was  far  into  the 
night  when  she  retired,  and  it  was  early  next  morning 
when  she  arose.  Her  father  was  bright  and  cheerful 
at  breakfast,  and  had  evidently  forgotten  all  about  the 
unpleasant  incident  of  the  day  before.  A  good  night's 
sleep  had  erased  it  from  his  memory.  Edith  was  glad 
of  this,  and  she  did  not  mention  the  subject.  After  he 
had  gone  to  the  City,  his  daughter  prepared  to  follow 
him.  She  did  not  take  her  carriage,  but  hailed  a 
hansom,  and  gave  the  driver  the  number  of  Went- 
worth's  offices.  That  young  man  was  evidently  some- 
what surprised  to  see  her.  He  had  been  trying  to 
write  to  Kenyon  an  account  of  his  interview  with  old 
Mr,  Longworth  ;  but,  after  he  had  finished  he  thought 
John  Kenyon  would  not  approve  of  his  zeal,  so  had 
just  torn  the  letter  up. 

"  Take  this  chair,"  he  said,  wheeling  an  armchair  into 


3i8  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

position.  "  It  is  the  only  comfortable  one  we  have  in 
the  room." 

"  Comfort  does  not  matter,"  said  Miss  Longvvorth. 
"  I  came  to  see  you  about  the  mica-mine.  What  has 
my  cousin  done  ?  " 

"  How  do  you  know  he  has  done  anything?  " 

"  That  does  not  matter.  I  know.  Tell  me  as  quickly 
as  you  can  what  he  has  done  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  a  very  pleasant  story  to  tell,"  he  said,  "  to 
a  young  lady  about  one  of  her  relatives." 

"  Never  mind  that.     Tell  me." 

"  Very  well,  he  has  done  this  :  He  has  pretended  he 
was  our  friend,  and  professed  to  aid  us  in  forming  this 
company.  He  delayed  us  by  every  means  in  his 
power  until  the  option  has  nearly  expired.  Then  he 
has  gone  to  Canada  and  secured  for  himself,  and  a  man 
named  Melville,  the  option  of  the  mine  when  John 
Kenyon's  time  was  up — that  is  to  say,  at  twelve  o'clock 
to-morrow,  when  Kenyon's  option  expires,  your  cousin 
will  pay  the  money  and  own  the  mine;  after  which, 
of  course,  Kenyon  and  myself  will  be  out  of  it.  I  don't 
mind  the  loss  at  all — I  would  gladly  give  Kenyon  my 
share — but  for  John  it  is  a  terrible  blow.  He  had 
counted  on  the  money  to  pay  debts  which  he  considers 
he  owes  to  his  father  for  his  education.  He  calls  them 
debts  of  honor,  though  they  are  not  debts  of  honor  in 
the  ordinary  sense  of  the  words.  Therefore,  it  seems 
to  me  a  terrible  thing  that —  Here  he  paused  and 

did  not  go  on.  He  saw  there  were  tears  in  the  eyes  of 
the  girl  to  whom  he  was  talking.  "  It  is  brutal,"  he 
said,  "  to  tell  you  all  this.  You  are  not  to  blame  for 
it,  and  neither  is  your  father,  although  I  spoke  to  him 
in  a  heated  manner  yesterday." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  319 

"  When  did  you  say  the  option  expires?  " 

"  At  twelve  o'clock  to-morrow." 

"  How  much  money  is  required  to  buy  the  mine?  " 

"  Twenty  thousand  pounds." 

"  Can  money  be  sent  to  Canada  by  cable?" 

"  Yes,  I  think  so." 

"Aren't  you  quite  sure?" 

"  No,  I  am  not.  It  can  be  sent  by  telegraph  in  this 
country,  and  in  America." 

"  How  long  will  it  take  you  to  find  out  ?  " 

"  Only  a  few  moments." 

"  Very  well.     Where  is  Mr.  Kenyon  now  ?" 

"  Kenyon  is  in  Ottawa.  I  had  a  cablegram  from  him 
yesterday." 

"  Then,  will  you  write  a  cablegram  that  can  be  sent 
away  at  once,  asking  him  to  wait  at  the  telegraph- 
office  until  he  receives  a  further  message  from  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  can  do  that ;  but  what  good  will  it  do  ?  " 

"  Never  mind  that  ;  perhaps  it  will  do  no  good.  I 
am  going  to  try  to  make  it  worth  doing.  Meanwhile 
remember,  if  I  succeed,  John  Kenyon  must  never 
know  the  particulars  of  this  transaction." 

"  He  never  will — if  you  say  so." 

"  I  say  so.  Now,  there  is  six  hours'  difference  of 
time  between  this  country  and  Canada,  is  there  not  ?  " 

"  About  that,  I  think." 

"  Very  well ;  lose  no  time  in  getting  the  cable  mes- 
sage sent  to  him,  and  tell  him  to  answer,  so  that  we 
shall  be  sure  he  is  at  the  other  end  of  the  wire.  Then 
find  out  about  the  cabling  of  the  money.  I  shall  be 
back  here,  I  think,  as  soon  as  you  are." 

With  that  she  left  the  office,  and,  getting  into  her 
cab,  was  driven  to  her  father's  place  of  business. 


320  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Well,  my  girl,"  said  the  old  man,  pushing  his 
spectacles  up  on  his  brow,  and  gazing  at  her,  "  what  is 
it  now — some  new  extravagance?  " 

"  Yes,  father,  some  new  extravagance." 

His  daughter  was  evidently  excited,  and  her  breath 
came  quickly.  She  closed  the  door,  and  took  a  chair 
opposite  her  father. 

"  Father,"  she  said,  "  I  have  been  your  business 
man,  as  you  call  me,  for  a  long  time." 

"  Yes,  you  have.  Are  you  going  to  strike  for  an 
increase  of  salary?" 

"  Father,"  she  said  earnestly,  not  heeding  the  jocu- 
larity of  his  tone,  "  this  is  very  serious.  I  want  you 
to  give  me  some  money  for  myself — to  speculate 
with." 

"  I  will  do  that  very  gladly.  How  much  do  you 
want  ?  " 

The  old  man  turned  his  chair  round  and  pulled 
out  his  cheque-book. 

"  I  want  thirty  thousand  pounds,"  she  answered. 

Mr.  Longworth  wheeled  quickly  round  in  his  chair 
and  looked  at  her  in  astonishment. 

"  Thirty  thousand  what  ?  " 

"  Thirty  thousand  pounds,  father ;  and  I  want  it 
now." 

"My  dear  girl,"  he  expostulated,  "have  you  any 
idea  how  much  thirty  thousand  pounds  is?  Do  you 
know  that  thirty  thousand  pounds  is  a  fortune  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  know  that." 

"  Do  you  know  that  there  is  not  one  in  twenty  of 
the  richest  merchants  in  London  who  could  at  a 
moment's  notice  produce  thirty  thousand  pounds  in 
ready  money?  " 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  321 

"Yes,  I  suppose  that  is  true.  Have  you  not  the 
ready  money  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  have  the  money.  I  can  draw  a  cheque  for 
that  amount,  and  it  will  be  honored  at  once ;  but  I 
cannot  give  you  so  much  money  without  knowing 
what  you  are  going  to  do  with  it." 

"  And  suppose,  father,  you  do  not  approve  of  what 
I  am  going  to  do  with  it?  " 

"All  the  more  reason,  my  dear,  that  I  should  know." 

"  Then,  father,  I  suppose  you  mean  that  whatever 
services  I  have  rendered  you,  whatever  comfort  I  have 
given  you,  what  I  have  been  to  you  all  my  life,  is  not 
worth  thirty  thousand  pounds?  " 

"  You  shouldn't  talk  like  that,  my  daughter.  Every- 
thing I  have  is  yours,  or  will  be,  when  I  die.  It  is  for 
you  I  work  ;  it  is  for  you  I  accumulate  money.  You 
will  have  everything  I  own  the  moment  I  have  to  lay 
down  my  work." 

"  Father ! "  cried  the  girl,  standing  up  before  him, 
"  I  do  not  want  your  money  when  you  die.  I  do  not 
want  you  to  die,  as  you  very  well  know  ;  but  I  do 
want  thirty  thousand  pounds  to-day,  and  now.  I 
want  it  more  than  I  ever  wanted  anything  else  before 
in  my  life,  or  ever  shall  again.  Will  you  give  it  to 
me?" 

"  No,  I  will  not,  unless  you  tell  me  what  you  are 
going  to  do  with  it." 

"  Then,  father,  you  can  leave  your  money  to  your 
nephew  when  you  die;  I  shall  never  touch  a  penny  of 
it.  I  now  bid  you  good-bye.  I  will  go  out  from  this 
room  and  earn  my  own  living." 

With  that  the  young  woman  turned  to  go,  but  her 
father,  with  a  sprightliness  one  would  not  have  ex- 


322  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

pected  from  his  years,  sprang  to  the  door  and  looked 
at  her  with  alarm." 

"  Edith,  my  child,  you  never  talked  to  me  like  this 
before  in  your  life.  What  is  wrong  with  you  ?" 

"  Nothing,  father,  except  that  I  want  a  cheque  for 
thirty  thousand  pounds,  and  want  it  now." 

"  And  do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  will  leave  me  if 
I  do  not  give  it  to  you  ?  " 

"  Have  you  ever  broken  your  word,  father  ?  " 

"  Never,  my  child,  that  I  know  of." 

"Then  remember  I  am  your  daughter.  I  have  said, 
if  I  do  not  get  that  money  now,  I  shall  never  enter 
our  house  again." 

"  But  thirty  thousand  pounds  is  a  tremendous 
amount.  Remember,  I  have  given  my  word,  too,  that 
I  would  not  give  you  the  money  unless  you  told  me 
what  it  was  for." 

"  Very  well,  father,  I  will  tell  what  it  is  for  when  you 
ask  me.  I  would  advise  you,  though,  not  to  ask  me  ; 
and  I  would  advise  you  to  give  me  the  money.  It 
will  all  be  returned  to  you  if  you  want  it." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  care  about  the  money  at  all,  Edith.  I 
merely,  of  course,  don't  want  to  see  it  wasted." 

"And,  father,  have  you  no  trust  in  my  judgment?" 

"  Well,  you  know  I  haven't  much  faith  in  any 
woman's  wisdom,  in  the  matter  of  investing  money." 

"  Trust  me  this  time,  father.  I  shall  never  ask  you 
for  any  more." 

The  old  man  went  slowly  to  his  desk,  wrote  out  a 
cheque,  and  handed  it  to  his  daughter.  It  was  for 
thirty  thousand  pounds. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

EDITH  LONGWORTH,  with  that  precious  bit  of  paper 
in  her  pocket,  once  more  got  into  her  hansom  and 
drove  to  Wentworth's  office.  Again  she  took  the  only 
easy-chair  in  the  room.  Her  face  was  very  serious, 
and  Wentworth,  the  moment  he  saw  it,  said  to  him- 
self, "  She  has  failed." 

"  Have  you  telegraphed  to  Mr.  Kenyon  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Yes." 

"  Are  you  sure  you  made  it  clear  to  him  what  was 
wanted  ?  Cablegrams  are  apt  to  be  rather  brief." 

"  I  told  him  to  keep  in  communication  with  us. 
Here  is  a  copy  of  the  cablegram." 

Miss  Longworth  read  it  approvingly,  but  said : 

"You  have  not  put  in  the  word  '  answer.' " 

"  No  ;  but  I  put  it  in  the  despatch  I  sent.  I  re- 
member that  now." 

"  Have  you  had  a  reply  yet  ?" 

"  Oh,  no  ;  you  see  it  takes  a  long  time  to  get  there, 
because  there  are  so  many  changes  from  the  end  of  the 
cable  to  the  office  where  Kenyon  is.  And  then, 
again,  you  see,  they  may  have  to  look  for  him.  He 
may  not  be  expecting  a  message  ;  in  fact,  he  is  sure 
not  to  be  expecting  any.  From  his  own  cablegram  to 
me,  it  is  quite  evident  he  has  given  up  all  hope." 

323 


324  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  Show  me  that  cablegram,  please  ?  " 

Wentworth  hesitated. 

"  It  is  hardly  couched  in  language  you  will  like  to 
read,"  he  said. 

"  That  doesn't  matter.  Show  It  to  me.  I  must  see 
all  the  documents  in  the  case." 

He  handed  her  the  paper,  which  she  read  in  silence, 
and  gave  it  back  to  him  without  a  word. 

"  I  knew  you  wouldn't  like  it,"  he  said. 

"  I  have  not  said  I  do  not  like  it.  It  is  not  a  bit  too 
strong  under  the  circumstances.  In  fact,  I  do  not  see 
how  he  could  have  put  it  in  other  words.  It  is  very 
concise  and  to  the  point." 

"  Yes ;  there  is  no  doubt  about  that,  especially  the 
first  three  words,  '  We  are  cheated  !  '  Those  are  the 
words  that  make  me  think  Kenyon  has  given  up  all 
hope,  and  so  there  may  be  some  trouble  in  finding 
him." 

"  Did  you  learn  whether  money  could  be  sent  by 
cable  or  not  ?  " 

"  Oh  yes ;  there  is  no  difficulty  about  that.  The 
money  is  deposited  in  a  bank  here,  and  will  be  credited 
to  Kenyon  in  the  bank  at  Ottawa." 

"  Very  well,  then,"  said  Miss  Longworth,  handing 
him  the  piece  of  paper,  "  there  is  the  money." 

Wentworth  gave  a  long  whistle  as  he  looked  at  it. 

"  Excuse  my  rudeness,"  he  said  ;  "  I  don't  see  a  bit 
of  paper  like  this  every  day.  You  mean,  then,  to  buy 
the  mine?" 

"  Yes  ;  I  mean  to  buy  the  mine." 

"  Very  well  ;  but  there  is  ten  thousand  pounds  more 
here  than  is  necessary." 

"  Yes.     I  mean  not  only  to  buy  the  mine,  but  to 


YOU   MEAN,   THEN,  TO  BUY  THE  MINE  ?  "—  Page  324. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  325 

work  it  ;  and  so  some  working  capital  will  be  necessary. 
How  much  do  you  suppose?" 

"  About  that  I  have  no  idea,"  said  Wentworth.  "  I 
should  think  five  thousand  pounds  would  be  ample." 

"Then,  we  shall  leave  five  thousand  pounds  in  the 
bank  here  for  contingencies,  and  cable  twenty-five 
thousand  pounds  to  Mr.  Kenyon.  I  shall  expect  him 
to  get  me  a  good  man  to  manage  the  mine.  I  am 
sure  he  will  be  glad  to  do  that." 

"  Most  certainly  he  will.  John  Kenyon,  now  that 
the  mine  has  not  fallen  into  the  hands  of  those  who  tried 
to  cheat  him,  will  be  glad  to  do  anything  for  the  new 
owner  of  it.  He  won't  mind,  in  the  least,  losing  his 
money  if  he  knows  that  you  have  the  mine." 

"  Ah,  but  that  is  the  one  thing  he  must  not  know.  As 
to  losing  the  money,  neither  you  nor  Mr.  Kenyon  are 
to  lose  a  penny.  If  the  mine  is  all  you  think  it  is,  then 
it  will  be  an  exceedingly  profitable  investment,  and  I 
intend  that  we  shall  each  take  our  third,  just  as  if  you 
had  contributed  one-third  of  the  money,  and  Mr. 
Kenyon  another." 

"  But,  my  dear  Miss  Longworth,  that  is  absurd.  We 
could  never  accept  any  such  terms." 

"  Oh  yes,  you  can.  I  spoke  to  John  Kenyon  himself 
about  being  a  partner  in  the  mine.  I  am  afraid  he 
thought  very  little  of  the  offer  at  the  time.  I  don't 
intend  him  to  know  anything  at  all  about  my  owner- 
ship now.  He  has  discovered  the  mine — you  and  he 
together.  If  it  is  valueless,  then  you  and  he  will  be 
two  of  the  sufferers  ;  if  it  is  all  you  think  it  is,  then  you 
will  be  the  gainers.  The  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire, 
and  I  am  sure  both  you  and  Mr.  Kenyon  have  labored 
hard  enough  in  this  venture.  Should  he  guess  I 


326  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

bought  it,  the  chances  are  that  he  will  be  stupidly  and 
stubbornly  conscientious,  and  decline  to  share  the 
fruits  of  his  labors." 

"  And  do  you  think,  Miss  Longworth,  I  am  not  con- 
scientious enough  to  refuse  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes ;  you  are  conscientious,  but  you  are  sensi- 
ble. Mr.  Kenyon  isn't." 

"  I  think  you  are  mistaken  about  that.  He  is  one  of 
the  most  sensible  men  in  the  world — morbidly  sensible, 
perhaps." 

"  Well,  I  think,  if  Mr.  Kenyon  knew  I  owned  the 
mine,  he  would  not  take  a  penny  as  his  share.  So  I 
trust  you  will  never  let  him  know  I  am  the  person  who 
gave  the  money  to  buy  the  mine." 

"  But  is  he  never  to  know  it,  Miss  Longworth  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  not.  If  he  is  to  learn,  I  am  the  person  to 
tell  him." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you  there,  and  I  shall  respect 
your  confidence." 

"  Now,  what  time,"  said  the  young  woman  looking  at 
her  watch,  "ought  we  to  get  an  answer  from  Mr. 
Kenyon?" 

"  Ah,  that,  as  I  said  before,  no  one  can  tell." 

"  I  suppose,  then,  the  best  plan  is  to  send  the  money 
at  once,  or  put  it  in  the  way  of  being  sent,  to  some 
bank  in  Ottawa." 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  best  thing  to  do ;  although,  of 
course,  if  John  Kenyon  is  not  there — 

"  If  he  is  not  there  what  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  exactly  know.  I  could  cable  to  Mr.  Von 
Brent.  Von  Brent  is  the  owner  of  the  mine,  and  the 
man  who  gave  John  the  option.  I  do  not  know  how 
far  he  is  committed  to  the  others.  If  he  is  as  honest  as 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  327 

I  take  him  to  be,  he  will  accept  the  money,  providing 
it  is  sent  before  twelve  o'clock,  and  then  we  shall  have 
the  mine.  Of  that  I  know  nothing,  whatever,  because 
I  have  no  particulars  except  John's  cable-message." 

"Then,  I  can  do  no  more  just  now?" 

"  Yes,  you  can.  You  will  have  to  write  a  cheque  for 
the  twenty-five  thousand  pounds.  You  see,  this  cheque 
is  crossed,  and  will  go  into  your  banking  account.  An- 
other cheque  will  have  to  be  drawn  to  get  the  money 
out." 

"  Ah,  I  see.  I  have  not  my  cheque-book  here,  but 
perhaps  you  can  send  this  cheque  to  the  bank,  and  1 
will  return.  There  will  be  time  enough,  I  suppose, 
before  the  closing  hour  of  the  bank?" 

"Yes,  there  will  be  plenty  of  time.  Of  course,  the 
sooner  we  get  the  money  away  the  better." 

"  I  shall  return  shortly  after  lunch.  Perhaps  you  will 
then  have  heard  from  Mr.  Kcnyon.  If  anything 
comes  sooner,  will  you  send  me  a  telegram  ?  Here  is 
my  address." 

"  I  will  do  that,"  said  Wentworth,  as  he  bade  her 
good-bye. 

As  soon  as  lunch  was  over,  Miss  Longworth,  with  her 
cheque-book,  again  visited  Wentworth's  office.  When 
she  entered  he  shook  his  head. 

"  No  news  yet,"  he  said. 

"This  is  terrible,"  she  answered;  "suppose  he  has 
left  Ottawa  and  started  for  home?  " 

"  I  do  not  think  he  would  do  that.  Still,  I  imagine 
he  would  think  there  was  no  reason  for  staying  in 
Ottawa.  Nevertheless,  I  know  Kenyon  well  enough  to 
believe  that  he  will  wait  there  till  the  last  minute  of  the 
option  has  expired,  in  the  hope  that  something  may 


528  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

happen.  He  knows,  of  course,  that  I  shall  be  doing 
everything  I  can  in  London,  and  he  may  have  a  faint 
expectation  that  I  shall  be  able  to  accomplish  some- 
thing." 

"  It  would  be  useless  to  cable  again?  " 

"  Quite.  If  that  message  does  not  reach  him,  none 
will." 

As  he  was  speaking,  a  boy  entered  the  room  with  a 
telegram  in  his  hand.  Its  contents  were  short  and  to 
the  point : 

"  Cablegram  received. 

"  KENYON." 

"  Well,  that's  all  right,"  said  Wentworth  ;  "  now  I 
shall  cable  that  we  have  the  money,  and  advise  him  to 
identify  himself  at  the  bank,  so  that  there  can  be  no 
formalities  about  the  drawing  of  it,  to  detain  him." 

Saying  this,  Wentworth  pulled  the  telegraph-forms 
towards  him,  and,  after  considerable  labor,  managed 
to  concoct  a  satisfactory  despatch. 

"Don't  spare  money  on  it,"  urged  his  visitor;  "be 
sure  and  make  it  plain  to  him." 

"  I  think  that  will  do,  don't  you?" 

"  Yes,"  she  answered,  after  reading  the  despatch ; 
"  that  will  do." 

"  Now,"  she  said,  "  here  is  the  cheque.  Shall  I  wait 
here  whfle  you  do  all  that  is  necessary  to  cable  the 
money,  or  had  I  better  go,  and  return  again  to  see  if 
everything  is  all  right  ?  " 

"  If  you  don't  mind,  just  sit  where  you  are.  You 
may  lock  this  door,  if  you  like,  and  you  will  not  be 
disturbed/' 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  329 

It  was  an  hour  before  Wentvvorth  returned,  but  his 
face  was  radiant. 

"  We  have  done  everything  we  can,"  he  said  ;  "the 
money  is  at  his  order  there,  if  the  cablegram  gets  over 
before  twelve  o'clock  to-morrow,  as  of  course  it  will." 

"  Very  well,  then,  good-bye,"  said  the  girl  with  a 
smile,  holding  out  her  hand. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

IF  any  man  more  miserable  and  dejected  than  John 
Kenyon  existed  in  the  broad  dominion  of  Canada,  he 
was  indeed  a  person  to  be  pitied.  After  having  sent 
his  cablegram  to  Wentworth,  he  returned  to  his  very 
cheerless  hotel.  Next  morning  when  he  awoke  he 
knew  that  Wentworth  would  have  received  the  mes- 
sage, but  that  the  chances  were  ten  thousand  to  one 
that  he  could  not  get  the  money  in  time,  even  if  he 
could  get  it  at  all.  Still,  he  resolved  to  stay  in  Ottawa, 
much  as  he  detested  the  place,  until  the  hour  the 
option  expired.  Then,  he  thought,  he  would  look 
round  among  the  mines,  and  see  if  he  could  not  get 
something  to  do  in  the  management  of  one  of  them. 
This  would  enable  him  to  make  some  money,  where- 
with to  pay  the  debts  which  he  and  Wentworth  would 
have  incurred  as  a  result  of  their  disastrous  speculation. 
He  felt  so  depressed  that  he  did  what  most  other 
Englishmen  would  have  done  in  his  place — took  a 
long  walk.  He  stood  on  the  bridge  over  the  Ottawa 
River  and  gazed  for  a  while  at  the  Chandiere  Falls, 
watching  the  mist  rising  from  the  chasm  into  which  the 
waters  plunged.  Then  he  walked  along  the  other  side 
of  the  river,  among  big  saw-mills  and  huge  intermin- 
able piles  of  lumber,  with  their  grateful  piney  smell. 
330 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  331 

By-and-by  he  found  himself  in  the  country,  and  then 
the  forest  closed  in  upon  the  bad  road  on  which  he 
walked.  Nevertheless,  he  kept  on  and  on,  without 
heeding  where  he  was  going.  Here  and  there  he  saw 
clearings  in  the  woods,  and  a  log  shanty,  or  perhaps  a 
barn.  The  result  of  all  this  was  that,  being  a  healthy 
man,  he  soon  developed  an  enormous  appetite,  which 
forced  itself  upon  his  attention  in  spite  of  his  depres- 
sion. He  noticed  the  evening  was  closing  around  him, 
and  so  was  glad  to  come  to  a  farmhouse  that  looked 
better  than  the  ordinary  shanties  he  had  left  behind. 
Here  he  asked  for  food,  and  soon  sat  down  to  a  plenti- 
ful meal,  the  coarseness  of  which  was  more  than  com- 
pensated for  by  the  excellence  of  his  appetite.  After 
dinner  he  began  to  realize  how  tired  he  was,  and  felt 
astonished  to  hear  from  his  host  how  far  he  was  from 
Ottawa. 

"  You  can't  get  there  to-night,"  said  the  farmer ;  "  it 
is  no  use  your  trying.  You  stay  with  us,  and  I'll  take 
you  in  to-morrow.  I'm  going  there  in  the  afternoon." 

And  so  Kenyon  remained  all  night,  and  slept  the 
dreamless  sleep  of  health  and  exhaustion. 

It  was  somewhat  late  in  the  afternoon  when  he 
reached  the  city  of  Ottawa.  Going  towards  his  hotel, 
he  was  astonished  to  hear  his  name  shouted  after  him. 
Turning  round,  he  saw  a  man  whom  he  did  not  rec- 
ognize running  after  him. 

"Your  name  is  Kenyon,  isn't  it?"  asked  the  man, 
somewhat  out  of  breath. 

"  Yes,  that  is  my  name." 

"  I  guess  you  don't  remember  me.  I  am  the  tele- 
graph operator.  We  have  had  a  despatch  waiting  for 
you  for  some  time,  a  cablegram  from  London.  We 


332  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

have  searched  all  over  the  town  for  you,  but  couldn't 
find  you." 

"  Ah,"  said  Kenyon,  "  is  it  important  ?  " 

"  Well,  that  I  don't  know.  You  had  better  come 
with  me  to  the  office  and  get  it.  Of  course,  they  don't 
generally  cable  unimportant  things.  I  remember  it 
said  something  about  you  keeping  yourself  in  readiness 
for  something." 

They  walked  together  to  the  telegraph-office.  The 
boy  was  still  searching  for  Kenyon  with  the  original 
despatch,  but  the  operator  turned  up  the  file  and  read 
the  copy  to  him. 

"  You  see,  it  wants  an  answer,"  he  said ;  "  that's 
why  I  thought  it  was  important  to  get  you.  You  will 
have  plenty  of  time  for  an  answer  to-night." 

John  took  a  lead  pencil  and  wrote  the  cable  de- 
spatch, which  Wentworth  received.  He  paid  his 
money,  and  said : 

"  I  will  go  to  my  hotel ;  it  is  the  —  -  House.  I  will 
wait  there,  and  if  anything  comes  for  me,  send  it  over 
as  soon  as  possible." 

"  All  right,"  said  the  operator,  "  that  is  the  best 
plan ;  then  we  will  know  exactly  where  to  find  you. 
Of  course,  there  is  no  use  in  your  waiting  here,  because 
we  can  get  you  in  five  minutes.  Perhaps  I  had  better 
telephone  to  the  hotel  for  you  if  anything  comes." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Kenyon ;  "  I  will  leave  it  all  in 
your  hands." 

Whether  it  was  the  effect  of  having  been  in  the 
country  or  not,  John  felt  that  the  cablegram  he  had 
received  was  a  good  omen.  He  meditated  over  the 
tremendous  ill-fortune  he  had  suffered  in  the  whole 
business  from  beginning  to  end,  and  thought  of  old 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  333 

Mr.  Longworth's  favorite  phrase,  "There's  no  such 
thing  as  luck." 

Then  came  a  rap  at  his  door,  and  the  bell-boy  said  : 

"  There  is  a  gentleman  here  wishes  to  speak  to  you." 

"Ask  him  to  come  up,"  was  the  answer;  and  two 
minutes  later  Von  Brent  entered. 

"Any  news?"  he  asked. 

John,  who  was  in  a  state  of  mind  which  made  him 
suspicious  of  everything  and  everybody,  answered : 

"No,  nothing  new." 

"  Ah,  I  am  sorry  for  that.  I  had  some  hopes  that 
perhaps  you  might  be  able  to  raise  the  money  before 
twelve  o'clock  to-morrow.  Of  course  you  know  the 
option  ends  at  noon  to-morrow  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  know  that." 

"  Did  you  know  that  Longworth  was  in  Ottawa?" 

"No,"  said  Kenyon;  "I  have  been  out  of  town 
myself." 

"Yes,  he  came  last  night.  He  has  the  money  in  the 
bank,  as  I  told  you.  Now,  I  will  not  accept  it  until  the 
very  latest  moment.  Of  course,  legally,  I  cannot  accept 
it  before  that  time,  and  just  as  legally,  I  cannot  refuse 
his  money  when  he  tenders  it.  I  am  very  sorry  all  this 
has  happened — more  sorry  than  I  can  tell  you.  I  hope 
you  will  not  think  that  I  am  to  blame  in  the  matter?  '" 

"  No,  you  are  not  in  the  slightest  to  blame.  There 
is  nobody  in  fault  except  myself.  I  feel  that  I  have 
been  culpably  negligent,  and  altogether  too  trustful." 

"  I  wish  to  goodness  I  knew  where  you  could  get  the 
money ;  but,  of  course,  if  I  knew  that,  I  would  have 
had  it  myself  long  ago." 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,"  said  Kenyon ; 
"  but  the  only  thing  you  can  do  for  me  is  to  see  that 


334  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

your  clock  is  not  ahead  of  time  to-morrow.  I  may, 
perhaps,  be  up  at  the  office  before  twelve  o'clock — 
that  is  where  I  shall  find  you,  I  suppose?" 

"  Yes  ;  I  shall  be  there  all  the  forenoon.  I  shall  not 
leave  until  twelve." 

"  Very  good  ;  I  am  much  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  Von 
Brent,  for  your  sympathy.  I  assure  you,  I  haven't 
many  friends,  and  it — well,  I'm  obliged  to  you,  that's 
all.  An  Englishman,  you  know,  is  not  very  profuse 
in  the  matter  of  thanks,  but  I  mean  it." 

"  I'm  sure  you  do,"  said  Von  Brent,  "  and  I'm  only 
sorry  that  my  assistance  cannot  be  something  sub- 
stantial. Well,  good-bye,  hoping  to  see  you  to- 
morrow." 

After  he  had  departed,  Kenyon's  impatience  in- 
creased as  the  hours  went  on.  He  left  the  hotel,  and 
went  direct  to  the  telegraph-office  ;  but  nothing  had 
come  for  him. 

"  I'm  afraid,"  said  the  operator,  "  that  there  won't 
be  anything  more  to-night.  If  it  should  come  late, 
shall  I  send  it  to  your  hotel?" 

"Certainly;  no  matter  at  what  hour  it  comes,  I 
wish  you  would  let  me  have  it  as  soon  as  possible.  It 
is  very  important." 

Leaving  the  office,  he  went  up  the  street  and,  pass- 
ing the  principal  hotel  in  the  place,  saw  young  Long- 
worth  standing  under  the  portico  of  the  hotel  as  dapper 
and  correct  in  costume  as  ever,  his  single  eyeglass  the 
admiration  of  all  Ottawa,  for  there  was  not  another 
like  it  in  the  city. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Kenyon?  "  said  that  young  man. 

"  My  dear  sir,"  replied  Kenyon,  "  the  last  time  you 
spoke  to  me  you  said  you  desired  to  have  nothing 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  335 

more  to  say  to  me.     I  cordially  reciprocated  that  sen- 
timent, and  I  want  to  have  nothing  to  say  to  you." 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  cried  young  Mr.  Longworth 
jauntily,  "  there  is  no  harm  done.  Of  course,  in  New 
York  I  was  a  little  out  of  sorts.  Everybody  is  in  New 
York — beastly  hole !  I  don't  think  it  is  worse  than 
Ottawa,  but  the  air  is  purer  here.  By  the  way,  per- 
haps you  and  I  can  make  a  little  arrangement.  I  am 
going  to  buy  that  mine  to-morrow,  as  doubtless  you 
know.  Now,  I  should  like  to  see  it  in  the  hands  of  a 
good  and  competent  man.  If  a  couple  of  hundred 
pounds  a  year  would  be  any  temptation  to  you,  I 
think  we  can  afford  to  let  you  develop  the  mine." 

"  Thank  you  !  "  said  Kenyon. 

"  I  knew  you  would  be  grateful ;  just  think  over  the 
matter,  will  you  ?  and  don't  come  to  any  rash  decision. 
We  can  probably  give  a  little  more  than  that  ;  but 
until  we  see  how  the  mine  is  turning  out,  it  is  not 
likely  we  shall  spend  a  great  deal  of  money  on  it." 

"  Of  course,"  said  John,  "  the  proper  answer  to  your 
remark  would  be  to  'knock  you  down ;  but,  besides 
being  a  law-abiding  citizen,  I  have  no  desire  to  get 
into  gaol  to-night  for  doing  it,  because  there  is  one 
chance  in  a  thousand,  Mr.  Longworth,  that  I  may  have 
some  business  to  do  with  that  mine  myself  before 
twelve  o'clock  to-morrow." 

"  Ah,  it  is  my  turn  to  be  grateful  now  !  "  said  Long- 
worth.  "  In  a  rough-and-tumble  fight  I  am  afraid  you 
would  master  me  easier  than  you  would  do  in  a  contest 
of  diplomacy." 

"  Do  you  call  it  diplomacy  ?  You  refer,  I  suppose,  to 
your  action  in  relation  to  the  mine.  I  call  it  robbery." 

"  Oh,  do  you  ?    Well,  that  is  the  kind  of  conversa- 


336  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

tion  which  leads  to  breaches  of  the  peace ;  and  as  I 
also  am  a  law-abiding  subject,  I  will  not  continue  the 
discussion  any  further.  I  bid  you  a  very  good  even- 
ing, Mr.  Kenyon." 

The  young  man  turned  on  his  heel  and  went  into 
the  hotel.  John  walked  to  his  own  much  more  modest 
inn,  and  retired  for  the  night.  He  did  not  sleep  well. 
All  night  long,  phantom  telegraph  messengers  were 
rapping  at  the  door,  and  he  started  up  every  now  and 
then  to  receive  cablegrams  which  faded  away  as  he 
awoke.  Shortly  after  breakfast  he  went  to  the  tele- 
graph-office, but  found  that  nothing  had  arrived  for 
him. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  said  the  operator,  "  that  nothing  will 
come  before  noon." 

"  Before  noon  ! "  echoed  John.     "  Why  ?  " 

"The  wires  are  down  in  some  places  in  the  East,  and 
messages  are  delayed  a  good  deal.  Perhaps  you 
noticed  the  lack  of  Eastern  news  in  the  morning 
papers?  Very  little  news  came  from  the  East  last 
night."  Seeing  John's  look  of  anxious  interest,  the 
operator  continued  :  "  Does  the  despatch  you  expect 
pertain  to  money  matters?" 

"  Yes,  it  does." 

"  Do  they  know  you  at  the  bank  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't  think  they  do." 

"  Then,  if  I  were  you,  I  would  go  up  to  the  bank 
and  be  identified,  so  that,  if  it  is  a  matter  of  minutes, 
no  unnecessary  time  may  be  lost.  You  had  better  tell 
them  you  expect  a  money-order  by  cable,  and, 
although  such  orders  are  paid  without  any  identifica- 
tion at  the  bank,  yet  they  take  every  precaution  to  see 
that  it  does  not  get  into  the  hands  of  the  wrong  man." 


A  WOMAN   INTERVENES.  337 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Kenyon.  "  I  am  much  obliged  to 
you  for  your  suggestion.  I  will  act  upon  it." 

And  as  soon  as  the  bank  opened,  John  Kenyon  pre- 
sented himself  to  the  cashier. 

"  I  am  expecting  a  large  amount  of  money  from 
England  to-day.  It  is  very  important  that,  when  it 
arrives,  there  shall  be  no  delay  in  having  it  placed  at 
my  disposal.  I  want  to  know  if  there  are  any  formal- 
ities to  be  gone  through." 

"  Where  is  the  money  coming  from  ?  "  said  the  clerk. 

"  It  is  coming  from  England." 

"  Is  there  anyone  in  Ottawa  who  can  identify  you  ?  " 

"Yes;  I  know  the  telegraph  operator  here." 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  cashier  somewhat  doubtfully. 
"  Anybody  else  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Von  Brent  knows  me  very  well." 

"  That  will  do.  Suppose  you  get  Mr.  Von  Brent  to 
come  here  and  identify  you  as  the  man  who  bears  the 
name  of  Kenyon.  Then  the  moment  your  cablegram 
comes  the  money  will  be  at  your  disposal." 

Kenyon  hurried  to  Von  Brent's  rooms  and  found 
him  alone. 

"  Will  you  come  down  to  the  bank  and  identify  me 
as  Kenyon  ?  " 

"  Certainly.     Has  the  money  arrived  ?  " 

"  No,  it  has  not ;  but  I  expect  it,  and  want  to  pro- 
vide for  every  contingency.  I  do  not  wish  to  have 
any  delay  in  my  identification  when  it  does  come." 

"  If  it  comes  by  cable,"  said  Von  Brent,  "  there  will 
be  no  need  of  identification.  The  bank  is  not 
responsible,  you  know.  They  take  the  money  entirely 
at  the  sender's  risk.  They  might  pay  it  to  the  tele- 
graph operator  who  receives  the  message !  I  believe 


338  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

they  would  not  be  held  liable.  However,  it  is  better 
to  see  that  nothing  is  left  undone." 

Going  over  to  the  bank,  Von  Brent  said  to  the  cash- 
ier:  '  This  is  John  Kenyon." 

"  Very  good,"  replied  the  cashier.  "  Have  you  been 
at  the  telegraph-office  lately,  Mr.  Kenyon?  " 

"  No,  I  have  not — at  least,  not  for  half  an  hour  or 
so." 

•'Well,  I  would  go  there  as  soon  as  possible,  if  I 
were  you." 

"  That  means,"  said  Von  Brent,  as  soon  as  they  had 
reached  the  door,  "  that  they  have  had  their  notice 
about  the  money.  I  believe  it  is  already  in  the  bank 
for  you.  I  will  go  back  to  my  rooms  and  not  leave 
them  till  you  come." 

John  hurried  to  the  telegraph-office. 

"Anything  for  me  yet?"  he  said. 

"  Nothing  as  yet,  Mr.  Kenyon ;  I  think,  however," 
he  added  with  a  smile,  "  that  it  will  be  all  right.  I 
hope  so." 

The  moments  ticked  along  with  their  usual  rapidity, 
yet  it  seemed  to  Kenyon  the  clock  was  going  fearfully 
fast.  Eleven  o'clock  came  and  found  him  still  pacing 
up  and  down  the  office  of  the  telegraph.  The  opera- 
tor offered  him  the  hospitality  of  the  private  room,  but 
this  he  declined.  Every  time  the  machine  clicked, 
John's  ears  were  on  the  alert,  trying  to  catch  a  mean- 
ing from  the  instrument. 

Ten  minutes  after  eleven  ! 

Twenty  minutes  after  eleven,  and  still  no  dispatch  ! 
The  cold  perspiration  stood  on  John's  brow,  and  he 
groaned  aloud. 

"  I  suppose  it's  very  important,"  said  the  operator. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  339 

"  Very  important." 

"  Well,  now,  I  shouldn't  say  so,  but  I  know  the  money 
is  in  the  bank  for  you.  Perhaps  if  you  went  up  there 
and  demanded  it,  they  would  give  it  to  you." 

It  was  twenty-five  minutes  past  the  hourwhen  John 
hurried  towards  the  bank. 

"  I  have  every  belief,"  he  said  to  the  cashier,  "that 
the  money  is  here  for  me  now.  «Is  it  possible  for  me  to 
get,  it  ?  " 

"  Have  you  your  cablegram  ?" 

"  No,  I  have  not." 

"  Well,  you  know,  we  cannot  pay  money  until  we 
see  .your  cablegram.  If  time  is  of  importance  you 
should  not  leave  the  telegraph-office,  and  the  moment 
you  get  your  message,  come  here  ;  then  there  will  be 
no  delay  whatever.  Do  you  wish  to  draw  all  the 
money  at  once  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  how  much  there  is,  but  I  must  have 
twenty  thousand  pounds." 

"  Very  well,  to  save  time  you  had  better  make  out 
a  cheque  for  twenty  thousand  pounds ;  that  will 
be —  And  here  he  gave  the  number  of  dollars  at 

that  rate  of  the  day  on  the  pound.  "  Just  make  out 
a  cheque  for  that  amount,  and  I  will  certify  it.  A 
certified  cheque  is  as  good  as  gold.  The  moment 
you  get  your  message  I  will  hand  you  the  certified 
cheque." 

John  wrote  out  the  order  and  gave  it  to  the  cashier, 
glancing  at  the  clock  as  he  did  so.  It  was  now 
twenty- five  minutes  to  twelve.  He  rushed  to  the 
telegraph-office  with  all  the  speed  of  which  he  was 
capable,  but  met  only  a  blank  look  again  from  the 
chief  operator. 


340  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  It  has  not  come  yet,"  he  said,  shaking  his  head. 

Gradually  despair  began  to  descend  on  the  waiting 
man.  It  was  worse  to  miss  everything  now,  than 
never  to  have  had  the  hope  of  success.  It  was  like 
hanging  a  man  who  had  once  been  reprieved.  He 
resumed  his  nervous  pace  up  and  down  that  chamber 
of  torture.  A  quarter  to  twelve.  He  had  heard  chimes 
ring  somewhere.  If  the  message  did  not  come  before 
they  rang  again,  it  would  be  forever  too  late. 

Fourteen  minutes — thirteen  minutes — twelve  min- 
utes— eleven  minutes — ten  minutes  to  twelve,  and  yet 
no 

"  Here  you  are !  "  shouted  the  operator  in  great  glee, 
"she's  a-coming — it's  all  right — 'John  Kenyon, 
Ottawa. ' '  Then  he  wrote,  as  rapidly  as  the  machine 
ticked  out  the  message,  "  there  it  is  ;  now  rush  !  " 

John  needed  no  telling  to  rush.  People  had  begun 
to  notice  him  as  the  man  who  was  doing  nothing  but 
running  between  the  bank  and  the  telegraph-office. 

It  was  seven  minutes  to  twelve  when  he  got  to  the 
bank. 

"  Is  that  dispatch  right  ?  "  he  said,  showing  it  through 
the  arched  aperture. 

The  clerk  looked  at  it  with  provoking  composure, 
and  then  compared  it  with  some  papers. 

"  For  God's  sake,  hurry  !  "  pleaded  John. 

"  You  have  plenty  of  time,"  said  the  cashier  coolly, 
looking  up  at  the  clock  and  going  on  with  his  examina- 
tion. "  Yes,"  he  added,  "  that  is  right.  Here  is  your 
certified  cheque." 

John  clasped  it,  and  bolted  out  of  the  bank  as  a 
burglar  might  have  done.  It  was  five  minutes  to 
twelve  when  he  got  to  the  steps  that  led  to  the  rooms 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  341 

of  Mr.  Von  Brent.  Now  all  his  excitement  seemed  to 
have  deserted  him.  He  was  as  cool  and  calm  as  if  he 
had  five  days,  instead  of  so  many  minutes,  in  which  to 
make  the  payment.  He  mounted  the  steps  quietly, 
walked  along  the  passage,  and  knocked  at  the  door  of 
Von  Brent's  room. 

"  Come  in  !  "  was  the  shout  that  greeted  him. 

He  opened  the  door,  glancing  at  the  clock  behind 
Von  Brent's  head  as  he  did  so. 

It  stood  at  three  minutes  to  twelve. 

Young  Mr.  Longworth  was  sitting  there,  with  just  a 
touch  of  pallor  on  his  countenance,  and  there  seemed 
to  be  an  ominous  glitter  in  his  eyeglass.  He  said 
nothing,  and  John  Kenyon  completely  ignored  his 
presence. 

"  There  is  still  some  life  left  in  my  option,  I 
believe  ?  "  he  said  to  Von  Brent,  after  nodding  good- 
day  to  him. 

"Very  little,  but  perhaps  it  will  serve.  You  have 
two  minutes  and  a  half,"  said  Von  Brent. 

"  Are  the  papers  ready?  "  inquired  John. 

"  All  ready,  everything  except  putting  in  the  names." 

"  Very  well,  here  is  the  money."  Von  Brent  looked 
at  the  certified  cheque.  "That  is  perfectly  right,"  he 
said  ;  "  the  mine  is  yours." 

Then  he  rose  and  stretched  his  hand  across  the 
table  to  Kenyon,  who  grasped  it  cordially. 

Young  Mr.  Longworth  also  rose,  and  said  languidly  : 

"  As  this  seems  to  be  a  meeting  of  long-lost  broth- 
ers I  shall  not  intrude.  Good-day,  Mr.  Von  Brent." 

Then  adjusting  his  eyeglass  in  a  leisurely  manner 
he  walked  out  of  the  room. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

WHEN  Edith  Longworth  entered  the  office  of  George 
Wentvvorth,  that  young  gentleman  somewhat  sur- 
prised her.  He  sprang  from  his  chair  the  moment  she 
entered  the  room,  rushed  out  of  the  door,  and  shouted 
at  the  top  of  his  voice  to  the  boy,  who  answered  him, 
whereupon  Wentworth  returned  to  the  room,  appar- 
ently in  his  right  mind. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Miss  Longworth,"  he  said, 
laughing;  "the  fact  was,  I  had  just  sent  my  boy  with  a 
telegram  for  you,  and  now,  you  see,  I  have  saved  six- 
pence." 

"  Then  you  have  heard  from  Canada  ? "  said  the 
young  lady. 

"  Yes ;  a  short  message,  but  to  the  point." 

He  handed  her  the  cablegram,  and  she  read  : 

"Mine  purchased;  shall  take  charge  temporarily." 

"  Then,  the  money  got  there  in  time,"  she  said,  hand- 
ing him  back  the  telegraphic  message. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  George,  with  the  easy  confidence  of 
a  man  who  doesn't  at  all  know  what  he  is  talking 
about.  "  We  had  plenty  of  time  ;  I  knew  it  would  get 
there  all  right." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that ;  I  was  afraid  perhaps  we  might 
342 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  343 

have  sent  it  too  late.  One  can  never  tell  what  delays 
or  formalities  there  may  be." 

"  Evidently  there  was  no  trouble.  And  now,  Miss 
Longworth,  what  are  your  commands?  Am  I  to  be 
your  agent  here,  in  Great  Britain?" 

"  Have  you  written  to  Mr.  Kenyon?" 

"Yes,  I  wrote  to  him  just  after  I  sent  the  cable 
message." 

"  Of  course  you  didn't " 

"  No,  I  didn't  say  a  word  that  would  lead  him  to 
suspect  who  was  the  mistress  of  the  mine.  In  my  zeal 
I  even  went  so  far  as  to  give  you  a  name.  You  are 
hereafter  to  be  known  in  the  correspondence  as  Mr. 
Smith,  the  owner  of  the  mine." 

Miss  Longworth  laughed. 

"  And — oh,  by  the  way,"  cried  Wentworth,  "  here  is  a 
barrel  belonging  to  you." 

"  A  barrel ! "  she  said,  and,  looking  in  the  direction  to 
which  he  pointed,  she  saw  in  the  corner  of  the  room  a 
barrel  with  the  head  taken  away.  "  If  it  is  my  prop- 
erty," continued  the  young  woman,  "who  has  taken 
the  liberty  of  opening  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  did  that  as  your  agent.  That  barrel  contains 
the  mineral  from  the  mine,  which  we  hope  will  prove 
so  valuable.  It  started  from  Canada  over  three  months 
ago,  and  only  arrived  here  the  other  day.  It  seems 
that  the  idiot  who  sent  it  addressed  it  by  way  of  New 
York,  and  it  was  held  by  some  Jack-in-office  belonging 
to  the  United  States  Customs.  We  have  had  more 
diplomatic  correspondence  and  trouble  about  that 
barrel  than  you  can  imagine,  and  now  it  comes  a  day 
behind  the  fair,  when  it  is  really  of  no  use  to  anyone." 

Miss  Longworth  rose  and  went  to  the  barrel.     She 


344  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

picked  out  some  of  the  beautiful  white  specimens  that 
were  in  it. 

"  Is  this  the  mineral  ?  "  she  asked. 

Wentworth  laughed. 

"  Imagine  a  person  buying  a  mine  at  an  exorbitant 
price,  and  not  knowing  what  it  produces.  Yes,  that  is 
the  mineral." 

"  This  is  not  mica,  of  course  ?  " 

"  No,  it  is  not  mica.  That  is  the  stuff  used  for  the 
making  of  china." 

"  It  looks  as  if  it  would  take  a  good  polish.  Will  it, 
do  you  know?" 

"  I  do  not  know.     I  could  easily  find  out  for  you." 

"  I  wish  you  would,  and  get  a  piece  of  it  polished, 
which  I  will  use  as  a  paper-weight." 

"  What  are  your  orders  for  the   rest  of  the  barrel  ?  " 

"  What  did  you  intend  doing  with  it  ? "  said  the 
young  woman. 

"  Well,  I  was  thinking  the  best  plan  would  be  to  send 
some  of  it  to  each  of  the  pottery  works  in  this  country, 
and  get  their  orders  for  more  of  the  stuff,  if  they  want 
to  use  it." 

"  I  think  that  an  extremely  good  idea.  I  understand 
from  the  cablegram  that  Mr.  Kenyon  says  he  will  take 
charge  of  the  mine  temporarily." 

"  Yes ;  I  imagine  he  left  Ottawa  at  once,  as  soon  as 
he  had  concluded  his  bargain.  Of  course,  we  shall  not 
know  for  certain  until  he  writes." 

"  Very  well,  then,  it  appears  to  me  the  best  thing  you 
could  do  over  here  would  be  to  secure  what  orders  can 
be  obtained  in  England  for  the  mineral.  Then,  I  sup- 
pose, you  could  write  to  Mr.  Kenyon,  and  ask  him  to 
engage  a  proper  person  to  work  the  mine." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  345 

"Yes,  I  will  do  that." 

"  When  he  comes  over  here,  you  and  he  can  have  a 
consultation  as  to  the  best  thing  to  do  next.  I  expect 
nothing  very  definite  can  be  arranged  until  he  comes. 
You  may  make  whatever  excuse  you  can  for  the  absence 
of  the  mythical  Mr.  Smith,  and  say  that  you  act  for  him. 
Then  you  may  tell  Mr.  Kenyon,  in  whatever  manner 
you  choose,  that  Mr.  Smith  intends  both  you  and  Mr. 
Kenyon  to  share  conjointly  with  him.  I  think  you  will 
have  no  trouble  in  making  John — that  is,  in  making 
Mr.  Kenyon — believe  there  is  such  a  person  as  Mr. 
Smith,  if  you  put  it  strongly  enough  to  him.  Make 
him  understand  that  Mr.  Smith  would  never  have 
heard  of  the  mine  unless  Mr.  Kenyon  and  you  had 
discovered  it,  and  that  he  is  very  glad  indeed  to  have 
such  a  good  opportunity  of  investing  his  money,  so 
that,  naturally,  he  wishes  those  who  have  been  instru- 
mental in  helping  him  to  this  investment  to  share  in  its 
profits.  I  imagine  you  can  make  all  this  clear  enough, 
so  that  your  friend  will  suspect  nothing.  Don't  you 
think  so?" 

"Well,  with  any  other  man  than  John  Kenyon  I 
should  have  my  doubts,  because,  as  a  fabricator,  I 
don't  think  I  have  a  very  high  reputation;  but  with 
John  I  have  no  fears  whatever.  He  will  believe  every- 
thing I  say.  It  is  almost  a'  pity  to  delude  so  trustful 
a  man,  but  it's  so  very  much  to  his  own  advantage 
that  I  shall  have  no  hesitation  in  doing  it." 

"Then,  you  will  write  to  him  about  getting  a  fit  and 
proper  person  to  manage  the  mine  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I  don't  think  there  will  be  any  necessity  for 
doing  so,  but  I  will  make  sure.  I  imagine  John  will 
not  leave  there  until  he  sees  everything  to  his  satis- 


346  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

faction.  He  will  be  very  anxious  indeed  for  the  mine 
to  prove  the  great  success  he  has  always  believed  it 
to  be,  even  though,  at  present,  he  does  not  know  he  is 
to  have  any  pecuniary  interest  in  its  prosperity." 

"  Very  well  then,  I  shall  bid  you  good-bye.  I  may 
not  be  here  again,  but  whenever  you  hear  from 
Mr.  Kenyon,  I  shall  be  very  glad  if  you  will  let  me 
know." 

"  Certainly ;  I  will  send  you  all  the  documents  in 
the  case,  as  you  once  remarked.  You  always  like  to 
see  the  original  papers,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  I  do."  Miss  Longworth  lingered 
a  moment  at  the  door,  then,  looking  straight  at  Went- 
worth, she  said  to  him,  "  You  remember  you  spoke 
rather  bitterly  to  my  father  the  other  day?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Wentworth,  coloring ;  "  I  remember 
it" 

"  You  are  a  young  man  ;  he  is  old.  Besides  that,  I 
think  you  were  entirely  in  the  wrong.  He  had  nothing 
whatever  to  do  with  his  nephew's  action." 

"Oh,  I  know  that,"  said  Wentworth.  "I  would 
have  apologized  to  him  long  ago,  only — well,  you 
know,  he  told  me  I  shouldn't  be  allowed  in  the  office 
again,  and  I  don't  suppose  I  should." 

"  A  letter  from  you  would  be  allowed  in  the  office," 
replied  the  young  lady,  looking  at  the  floor. 

"  Of  course  it  would,"  said  George  ;  "  I  will  write  to 
him  instantly  and  apologize." 

"  It  is  very  good  of  you,"  said  Edith,  holding  out  her 
hand  to  him ;  the  next  moment  she  was  gone. 

George  Wentworth  turned  to  his  desk  and  wrote  a 
letter  of  apology.  Then  he  mused  to  himself  upon  the 
strange  and  incomprehensible  nature  of  women.  "  She 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  347 

makes  me  apologize  to  him,  and  quite  right  too  ;  but  if 
it  hadn't  been  for  the  row  with  her  father,  she  never 
would  have  heard  about  the  transaction,  and  therefore 
couldn't  have  bought  the  mine,  which  she  was  anxious 
to  do  for  Kenyon's  sake — lucky  beggar  John  is,  after 
all !  " 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

WHEN  the  business  of  transferring  the  mine  to  its 
new  owner  was  completed,  John  Kenyon  went  to  the 
telegraph-office  and  sent  a  short  cable-message  to 
Wentworth.  Then  he  turned  his  steps  to  the  hotel,  an 
utterly  exhausted  man.  The  excitement  and  tension 
of  the  day  had  been  too  much  for  him,  and  he  felt  that, 
if  he  did  not  get  out  of  the  city  of  Ottawa  and  into  the 
country,  where  there  were  fewer  people  and  more  air, 
he  was  going  to  be  ill.  He  resolved  to  leave  for  the 
mine  as  soon  as  possible.  There  he  would  get  affairs 
in  as  good  order  as  might  be,  and  keep  things  going 
until  he  heard  from  the  owner.  When  he  reached  his 
hotel,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  Wentworth,  detailing 
briefly,  the  circumstances  under  which  he  had  secured 
the  mine,  and  dealing  with  other  more  personal  matters. 
Having  posted  this,  he  began  to  pack  his  portmanteau, 
preparatory  to  leave  early  next  morning.  While  thus 
occupied,  the  bell-boy  came  into  his  room,  and  said : 
"  There  is  a  gentleman  wants  to  see  you." 
He  imagined  at  once  that  it  was  Von  Brent,  who 
wished  to  see  him  with  regard  to  some  formality 
relating  to  the  transfer,  and  he  was,  therefore,  very 
much  astonished — in  fact,  for  the  moment  speechless — 
when  Mr.  William  Longworth  entered  and  calmly  gazed 
348 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  349 

round  the  rather  shabby  room   with  his  critical  eye- 
glass. 

"  Ah,"  he  said,  "  these  are  your  diggings,  are  they  ? 
This  is  what  they  call  a  dollar  hotel,  I  suppose,  over 
here.  Well,  some  people  may  like  it,  but,  I  confess,  I 
don't  care  much  about  it,  myself.  The  three  or  four 
dollars  a  day  hotels  are  bad  enough  for  me.  By  the 
way,  you  look  rather  surprised  to  see  me ;  being 
strangers  together  in  a  strange  country,  I  expected  a 
warmer  greeting.  You  said  last  night,  in  front  of  the 
Russel  House,  that  it  would  please  you  very  much  to 
give  me  a  warm  greeting  ;  perhaps  you  would  like  to  do 
so  to-night." 

"  Have  you  come  up  here  to  provoke  a  quarrel  with 
me?" 

"  Oh,  bless  you,  no !  Quarrel !  Nothing  of  the  sort. 
What  should  I  want  to  quarrel  about  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  you  will  be  good  enough  to  tell  me  why 
you  come  here,  then  ?  " 

"  A  very  reasonable  request.  Very  reasonable  in 
deed,  and  perfectly  natural,  but  still  quite  unnecessary. 
It  is  not  likely  that  a  man  would  climb  up  here  into 
your  rooms,  and  then  not  be  prepared  to  tell  you  why 
he  came.  I  came,  in  the  first  place,  to  congratulate 
you  on  the  beautiful  and  dramatic  way  in  which  you 
secured  the  mine  at  the  last  moment,  or  apparently 
at  the  last  moment.  I  suppose  you  had  the  money  all 
the  time?  ' 

11  No,  I  had  not." 

"  Then  you  came  in  to  Von  Brent  just  as  soon  as 
you  received  it  ?  " 

"Well,  now,  I  don't  see  that  it  is  the  business  of 
anyone  else  but  myself.  Still,  if  you  want  to  know,  I 


350  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

may  say  that  I  came  to  Mr.  Von  Brent's  room  at  the 
moment  I  received  the  money." 

"  Really !  Then  it  was  sent  over  by  cable,  I 
presume  ?  " 

"  Your  presumption  is  entirely  correct." 

"  My  dear  Kenyon,"  said  the  young  man,  seating 
himself  without  being  asked,  and  gazing  at  John  in  a 
benevolent  kind  of  way,  "  you  really  show  some  temper 
over  this  little  affair  of  yours.  Now,  here  is  the  whole 
thing  in  a  nutshell " 

"  My  dear  sir,  I  don't  wish  to  hear  the  whole  thing  in 
a  nutshell.  I  know  all  about  it all  I  wish  to  know." 

"  Ah,  precisely  ;  of  course  you  do  ;  certainly  ;  but, 
nevertheless,  let  me  have  my  say.  Here  is  the  whole 
thing.  I  tried  to — well,  to  cheat  you.  I  thought  I 
could  make  a  little  money  by  doing  so,  and  my  scheme 
failed.  Now,  if  anybody  should  be  in  a  bad  temper, 
it  is  I,  not  you.  Don't  you  see  that?  You  are  not 
acting  your  part  well  at  all.  I'm  astonished  at 
you  !  " 

"  Mr.  Longworth,  I  wish  to  have  nothing  whatever 
to  say  to  you.  If  you  have  anything  to  ask,  I  wish 
you  would  ask  it  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  then  leave 
me  alone." 

"  The  chief  fault  I  find  with  you,  Kenyon,"  said 
Longworth,  throwing  one  leg  over  the  other,  and  clasp- 
ing his  hands  round  his  knee — "  the  chief  fault  I  have 
to  find  is  your  painful  lack  of  a  sense  of  humor.  Now, 
you/remember  last  night  I  offered  you  the  manager- 
ship of  the  mine.  I  thought,  certainly,  that  by  this 
time  to-day  I  should  be  owner  of  it,  or,  at  least,  one  of 
the  owners.  Now,  you  don't  appear  to  appreciate  the 
funniness  of  the  situation.  Here  you  are,  the  owner 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  351 

of  the  mine,  and  I  am  out  in  the  cold — '  left,'  as 
they  say  here  in  America.  I  am  the  man  who  is 
left— 

"  If  that  is  all  you  have  to  talk  about,"  said  Kenyon 
gravely,  "  I  must  ask  you  to  allow  me  to  go  on  with 
my  packing.  I  am  going  to  the  mine  to-morrow." 

"  Certainly,  my  dear  fellow ;  go  at  once  and  never 
mind  me.  Can  I  be  of  any  assistance  to  you?  It 
requires  a  special  genius,  you  know,  to  pack  a  port- 
manteau properly.  But  what  I  wanted  to  say  was 
this :  Why  didn't  you  turn  round,  when  you  had  got 
the  mine,  and  offer  me  the  managership  of  it  ?  Then 
you  would  have  had  your  revenge.  The  more  I  think 
of  that  episode  in  Von  Brent's  office,  the  more  I  think 
you  utterly  failed  to  realize  the  dramatic  possibilities 
of  the  situation." 

Kenyon  was  silent. 

"  Now,  all  this  time  you  are  wondering  why  I  came 
here.  Doubtless  you  wish  to  know  what  I  want." 

"  I  have  not  the  slightest  interest  in  the  matter," 
said  Kenyon. 

"  That  is  ungracious  ;  but,  nevertheless,  I  will  con- 
tinue. It  is  better,  I  see,  to  be  honest  with  you,  if  a 
man  wants  to  get  anything  out  of  you.  Now,  I  want 
to  get  a  bit  of  information  from  you.  I  want  to  know 
where  you  got  the  money  with  which  you  bought  the 
mine?  " 

"  I  got  it  from  the  bank." 

"  Ah,  yes ;  but  I  want  to  know  who  sent  it  ov^r  to 
you?" 

"  It  was  sent  to  me  by  George  Wentworth." 

"  Quite  so  ;  but  now  I  want  to  know  who  gave  Went- 
worth the  money  ?  " 


352  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  You  will  have  a  chance  of  finding  that  out  when  you 
go  to  England,  by  asking  him." 

"Then  you  won't  tell  me?" 

"I  can't  tell  you." 

"  You  mean  by  that,  of  course,  that  you  won't." 

"  I  always  mean,  Mr.  Longworth,  exactly  what  I  say. 
I  mean  that  I  can't  tell  you.  I  don't  know  my- 
self." 

"Really?" 

"  Yes,  really.  You  seem  to  have  some  difficulty  in 
believing  that  anybody  can  speak  the  truth." 

"  Well,  it  isn't  a  common  vice,  speaking  the  truth. 
You  must  forgive  a  little  surprise."  He  nursed  his  knee 
for  a  moment,  and  looked  meditatively  up  at  the  ceil- 
ing. "  Now,  would  you  like  to  know  who  furnished  that 
money  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  curiosity  in  the  matter  whatever." 

"  Have  you  not  ?  You  are  a  singular  man.  It  seems 
to  me  that  a  person  into  whose  lap  twenty  thousand 
pounds  drops  from  the  skies  would  have  some  little 
curiosity  to  know  from  whom  the  money  came." 

"  I  haven't  the  slightest." 

"  Nevertheless,  I  will  tell  you  who  gave  the  money  to 
Wentworth.  It  was  my  dear  friend  Melville.  I  didn't 
tell  you  in  New  York,  of  course,  that  Melville  and  I  had 
a  little  quarrel  about  this  matter,  and  he  went  home 
decidedly  huffy.  I  had  no  idea  he  would  take  this 
method  of  revenge  ;  but  I  see  it  quite  clearly  now.  He 
knew  I  had  received  the  option  of  the  mine.  There 
was  a  little  trouble  as  to  what  our  respective  shares 
were  to  be,  and  I  thought,  as  I  had  secured  the  option, 
I  had  the  right  to  dictate  terms.  He  thought  differ- 
ently. He  was  going  to  Von  Brent  to  explain  the 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  353 

whole  matter ;  but  I  pointed  out  that  such  a  course 
would  do  no  good,  the  option  being  legally  made  out  in 
my  name,  so  that  the  moment  your  claim  expired,  mine 
began.  When  this  dawned  upon  him,  he  took  the 
steamer  and  went  to  England.  Now,  I  can  see  his 
hand  in  this  artistic  finish  to  the  affair.  It  was  a  pretty 
sharp  trick  of  Melville's,  and  I  give  him  credit  for  it. 
He  is  a  very  much  shrewder  and  cleverer  man  than  I 
thought  he  was." 

"  It  seems  to  me,  Mr.  Longworth,  that  your  inordi- 
nate conceit  makes  you  always  under-estimate  your 
friends,  or  your  enemies  either,  for  that  matter." 

"There  is  something  in  that,  Kenyon  ;  I  think  you 
are  more  than  half  right,  but  I  thought,  perhaps,  I 
could  make  it  advantageous  to  you  to  do  me  a  favor 
in  this  matter.  I  thought  you  might  have  no  objection 
to  writing  a  little  document  to  the  effect  that  the 
money  did  not  come  in  time,  and,  consequently,  I  had 
secured  the  mine.  Then,  if  you  would  sign  that,  I 
would  take  it  over  to  Melville  and  make  terms  with 
him.  Of  course,  if  he  knows  that  he  has  the  mine, 
there  will  not  be  much  chance  of  coming  to  any 
arrangement  with  him." 

"  You  can  make  no  arrangements  with  me,  Mr. 
Longworth,  that  involve  sacrifice  of  the  truth." 

"  Ah,  well,  I  suspected  as  much  ;  but  I  thought  it 
was  worth  trying.  However,  my  dear  sir,  I  may  make 
terms  with  Melville  yet,  and  then,  I  imagine,  you  won't 
have  much  to  do  with  the  mine." 

"  I  shall  not  have  anything  to  do  with  it  if  you  and 
Melville  have  a  share  in  it ;  and  if,  as  you  suspect, 
Melville  has  the  mine,  I  consider  you  are  in  a  bad  way. 
My  opinion  is  that,  when  one  rascal  gets  advantage 


354  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

over  another  rascal,  the  other  rascal  will  be,  as  you 
say  '  left.'  " 

Longworth  mused  over  this  for  a  moment,  and  said  : 

"  Yes,  I  fear  you  are  right — in  fact,  I  am  certain  of 
it.  Well,  that  is  all  I  wanted  to  know.  I  will  bid  you 
good-bye.  I  shan't  see  you  again  in  Ottawa,  as  I  shall 
sail  very  shortly  for  -England.  Have  you  any  messages 
you  would  like  given  to  your  friends  over  there?  " 

"  None,  thank  you." 

"  Well,  ta-ta ! "     And  John  was  left  to  his  packing. 

That  necessary  operation  concluded,  Kenyon  sat 
down  and  thought  over  what  young  Longworth  had 
told  him.  His  triumph,  after  all,  had  been  short-lived. 
The  choice  between  the  two  scoundrels  was  so  small 
that  he  felt  he  didn't  care  which  of  them  owned  the 
mine.  Meditating  on  this  disagreeable  subject,  he 
suddenly  remembered  a  request  he  had  asked  Went- 
worth  to  place  before  the  new  owner  of  the  mine.  He 
wanted  no  favor  from  Melville,  so  he  wrote  a  second 
letter,  contradicting  the  request  made  in  the  first,  and, 
after  posting  it,  returned  to  his  hotel,  and  went  to  bed, 
probably  the  most  tired  man  in  the  city  of  Ottawa. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

THIS  chapter  consists  largely  of  letters.  As  a 
general  rule,  letters  are  of  little  concern  to  anyone 
except  the  writers,  and  the  receivers,  but  they  are 
inserted  here  in  the  hope  that  the  reader  is  already 
well  enough  acquainted  with  the  correspondents  to 
feel  some  interest  in  what  they  have  written. 

It  was  nearly  a  fortnight  after  the  receipt  of  the 
cablegram  from  Kenyon  that  George  Wentworth 
found,  one  morning,  on  his  desk  two  letters,  each 
bearing  a"  Canadian  postage-stamp.  One  was  some- 
what bulky  and  one  was  thin,  but  they  were  both  from 
the  same  writer.  He  tore  open  the  thin  one  first, 
without  looking  at  the  date  stamped  upon  it.  He  was 
a  little  bewildered  by  its  contents,  which  ran  as 
follows : 

"  MY  DEAR  GEORGE, 

"  I  have  just  heard  that  Melville  is  the  man 
who  has  bought  the  mine.  The  circumstances  of  the 
case  leave  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  such  is  the  fact ; 
therefore,  please  disregard  the  request  I  made  as  to 
employment  in  the  letter  I  posted  to  you  a  short  time 
ago.  I  feel  a  certain  sense  of  disappointment  in  the 
fact  that  Melville  is  the  owner  of  the  mine.  It  seems 

355 


356  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

I  have  only  kept  one  rascal  from  buying  it  in  order  to 
put  it  in  the  hands  of  another  rascal. 

"Your  friend, 

"JOHN  KENYON." 

"  Melville  the  owner !  "  cried  Wentworth  to  himself. 
"What  could  have  put  that  into  John's  head  ?  This 
letter  is  evidently  the  one  posted  a  few  hours  before, 
so  it  will  contain  whatever  request  he  has  to  make  ;  " 
and,  without  delay,  George  Wentworth  tore  open  the 
envelope  of  the  second  letter,  which  was  obviously 
the  one  written  first. 

It  contained  a  number  of  documents  relating  to  the 
transfer  of  the  mine.  The  letter  from  John  himself 
went  on  to  give  particulars  of  the  buying  of  the  prop- 
erty. Then  it  continued  : 

"  I  wish  you  would  do  me  a  favor,  George.  Will 
you  kindly  ask  the  owner  of  the  mine  if  he  will  give 
me  charge  of  it  ?  I  am,  of  course,  anxious  to  make  it 
turn  out  as  well  as  possible,  and  I  believe  I  can  more 
than  earn  my  salary,  whatever  it  is.  You  know  I  am 
not  grasping  in  the  matter  of  money,  but  get  me  as 
large  a  salary  as  you  think  I  deserve.  I  desire  to  make 
money  for  reasons  that  are  not  entirely  selfish,  as  you 
know.  To  tell  you  the  truth,  George,  I  am  tired  of 
cities  and  of  people.  I  want  to  live  here  in  the  woods 
where  there  is  not  so  much  deceit  and  treachery  as 
there  seems  to  be  in  the  big  towns.  When  I  reached 
London  last  time,  I  felt  like  a  boy  getting  home.  My 
feelings  have  undergone  a  complete  change,  and  I 
think,  if  it  were  not  for  you  and  a  certain  young  lady, 
I  should  never  care  to  see  the  big  city  again.  What 
is  the  use  of  my  affecting  mystery,  and  writing  the 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  3$; 

words  '  a  certain  young  lady  '  ?  Of  course,  you  know 
whom  I  mean — Miss  Edith  Longworth.  You  know, 
also,  that  I  am,  and  have  long  been,  in  love  with  her. 
If  I  had  succeeded  in  making  the  money  I  thought  I 
should  by  selling  the  mine,  I  might  have  had  some  hopes 
of  making  more,  and  of  ultimately  being  in  a  position 
to  ask  her  to  be  my  wife  ;  but  that,  and  very  many 
other  hopes,  have  disappeared  with  my  recent  London 
experiences.  I  want  to  get  into  the  forest  and  recover 
some  of  my  lost  tone,  and  my  lost  faith  in  human  nature. 
If  you  can  arrange  matters  with  the  owner  of  the  mine, 
so  that  I  may  stay  here  for  a  year  or  two,  you  will  do 
me  a  great  favor." 

George  Wentworth  read  over  the  latter  part  of  this 
letter  two  or  three  times.  Then  he  rose,  paced  the 
floor,  and  pondered. 

"  It  isn't  a  thing  upon  which  I  can  ask  anyone's 
advice,"  he  muttered  to  himself.  "  The  trouble  with 
Kenyon  is,  he  is  entirely  too  modest ;  a  little  useful 
self-esteem  would  be  just  the  thing  for  him."  At  last 
he  stopped  suddenly  in  his  walk.  "  By  Jove  !  "  he  said 
to  himself,  slapping  his  thigh,  "  I  shall  do  it,  let  the 
consequences  be  what  they  may." 

Then  he  sat  down  at  his  desk  and  wrote  a  letter. 

"  DEAR  Miss  LONGWORTH  "  (it  began), 

"  You  told  me  when  you  were  here  last  that  you 
wanted  all  the  documents  pertaining  to  the  mine,  in 
every  instance.  A  document  has  come  this  morning 
that  is  rather  important.  John  Kenyon,  as  you  will 
learn  by  reading  the  letter,  desires  the  managership  of 
the  mine.  I  need  not  say  that  I  think  he  is  the  best 
man  in  the  world  for  the  position,  and  that  everything 


358  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

will  be  safe  in  his  hands.  I  therefore  inclose  you  his 
letter.  I  had  some  thought  of  cutting  out  a  part  of  it, 
but  knowing  your  desire,  to  have  all  documents  in  the 
case,  I  take  the  liberty  of  sending  this  one  exactly  as 
it  reached  me,  and  if  anyone  is  to  blame,  I  am  the 
person. 

"  I  remain,  your  agent, 

"  GEORGE  WENTWORTH." 

He  sent  this  letter  out  at  once,  so  that  he  would  not 
have  a  chance  to  change  his  mind. 

"  It  will  reach  her  this  afternoon,  and  doubtless  she 
will  call  and  see  me." 

It  is,  perhaps,  hardly  necessary  to  say  she  did  not 
call,  and  she  did  not  see  him  for  many  days  afterwards ; 
but  next  morning,  when  he  came  to  his  office,  he  found 
a  letter  from  her.  It  ran : 

"  DEAR  MR.  WENTWORTH, 

"  The  sending  of  Mr.  Kenyon's  letter  to  me 
is  a  somewhat  dangerous  precedent,  which  you  must 
on  no  account  follow  by  sending  any  letters  you 
may  receive  from  any  other  person  to  Mr.  Kenyon. 
However,  as  you  were  probably  aware  when  you 
sent  the  letter,  no  blame  will  rest  on  your  shoulders, 
or  on  those  of  anyone  else,  in  this  instance.  Still, 
be  very  careful  in  future,  because  letter-sending, 
unabridged,  is  sometimes  a  risky  thing  to  do.  You 
are  to  remember  that  I  always  want  all  the  documents 
in  the  case,  and  I  want  them  with  nothing  eliminated. 
I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  forwarding  the 
letter. 

"  As  to  the  managership  of  the  mine,  of  course,  I 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  359 

thought  Mr.  Kenyon  would  desire  to  come  back  to 
London.  If  he  is  content  to  stay  abroad,  and  really 
wants  to  stay  there,  I  wish  you  would  tell  him  that 
Mr.  Smith  is  exceedingly  pleased  to  know  he  is  willing 
to  take  charge  of  the  mine.  It  would  not  look  busi- 
nesslike on  the  part  of  Mr.  Smith  to  say  that  Mr. 
Kenyon  is  to  name  his  own  salary,  but,  unfortunately, 
Mr.  Smith  is  very  ignorant  as  to  what  a  proper  salary 
should  be,  so  will  you  kindly  settle  that  question  ? 
You  know  the  usual  salary  for  such  an  occupation. 
Please  write  down  that  figure,  and  add  two  hundred  a 
year  to  it.  Tell  Mr.  Kenyon  the  amount  named  is  the 
salary  Mr.  Smith  assigns  to  him. 

"  Pray  be  very  careful  in  the  wording  of  the  letters, 
so  that  Mr.  Kenyon  will  not  have  any  idea  who 
Mr.  Smith  is. 

"  Yours  truly, 

"  EDITH  LONGWORTH." 

When  Wentworth  received  this  letter,  being  a  man, 
he  did  not  know  whether  Miss  Longworth  was  pleased 
or  not.  However,  he  speedily  wrote  to  John,  telling 
him  that  he  was  appointed  manager  of  the  mine,  and 
that  Mr.  Smith  was  very  much  pleased  to  have  him  in 
that  capacity.  He  named  the  salary,  but  said  if  it  was 
not  enough,  no  doubt  Mr.  Smith  was  so  anxious  for  his 
services  that  the  amount  would  be  increased. 

John,  when  he  got  the  letter,  was  more  than  satisfied. 

At  the  time  Wentworth  was  reading  his  letters,  John 
had  received  those  which  had  been  sent  when  the  mine 
was  bought.  He  was  relieved  to  find  that  Melville  was 
not,  after  all,  the  owner ;  and  he  went  to  work  with  a 
will,  intending  to  put  in  two  or  three  years  of  his  life, 


360  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

with  hard  labor,  in  developing  the  resources  of  the 
property.  The  first  fortnight,  before  he  received  any 
letters,  he  did  nothing  but  make  himself  acquainted 
with  the  way  work  was  being  carried  on  there.  He 
found  many  things  to  improve.  The  machinery  had 
been  allowed  to  run  down,  and  the  men  worked  in  the 
listless  way  men  do  when  they  are  under  no  particular 
supervision.  The  manager  of  the  mine  was  very 
anxious  about  his  position.  John  told  him  the  property 
had  changed  hands,  but,  until  he  had  further  news 
from  England,  he  could  not  tell  just  what  would  be 
done.  When  the  letters  came,  John  took  hold  with  a 
will,  and  there  was  soon  a  decided  improvement  in  the 
way  affairs  were  going.  He  allowed  the  old  manager 
to  remain  as  a  sort  of  sub-manager  ;  but  that  individual 
soon  found  that  the  easy  times  of  the  Austrian  Mining 
Company  were  for  ever  gone. 

Kenyon  had  to  take  one  or  two  long  trips  in  Canada 
and  the  United  States,  to  arrange  for  the  disposal  of 
the  products  of  the  mine ;  but,  as  a  general  rule,  his 
time  was  spent  entirely  in  the  log  village  near  the  river. 

When  a  year  had  passed,  he  was  able  to  write  a  very 
jubilant  letter  to  Wentworth, 

"You  see,"  he  said,  "  after  all,  the  mine  was  worth 
the  two  hundred  thousand  pounds  we  asked  for  it.  It 
pays,  even  the  first  year,  ten  per  cent,  on  that  amount. 
This  will  give  back  all  the  mine  has  cost,  and  I  think, 
George,  the  honest  thing  for  us  to  do  would  be  to  let 
the  whole  proceeds  go  to  Mr.  Smith  this  year,  who 
advanced  the  money  at  a  critical  time.  This  will 
recoup  him  for  his  outlay,  because  the  working  capital 
has  not  been  touched.  The  mica  has  more  than  paid 
the  working  of  the  mine,  and  all  the  rest  is  clear  profit. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  361 

Therefore,  if  you  are  willing,  we  will  let  our  third  go 
this  year,  and  then  we  can  take  our  large  dividend 
next  year  with  a  clear  conscience.  I  enclose  the 
balance-sheet." 

To  this  letter  there  came  an  answer  in  due  time  from 
Wentworth,  who  said  that  he  had  placed  John's  pro- 
posal before  Mr.  Smith  ;•  but  it  seemed  the  gentleman 
was  so  pleased  with  the  profitable  investment  he  had 
made  that  he  would  hear  of  no  other  division  of  the 
profits  but  that  of  share  and  share  alike.  He  appeared 
to  be  very  much  touched  by  the  offer  John  had  made, 
and  respected  him  for  making  it,  but  the  proposed 
rescinding  on  his  part  and  Wentworth's  was  a  thing 
not  to  be  thought  of.  This  being  the  case,  John  sent 
a  letter  and  a  very  large  cheque  to  his  father.  The 
moment  of  posting  that  letter  was,  doubtless,  one  of 
the  happiest  of  his  life,  and  this  ends  the  formidable 
array  of  letters  which  appears  in  this  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

WENTWORTH  had  written  to  Kenyon  that  Mr.  Smith 
absolutely  refused  to  take  more  than  one-third  of  the 
profits  of  the  mine.  It  was  true  that  the  offer  had 
been  declined,  but  Wentworth  never  knew  how  much 
tempted  the  Mistress  of  the  Mine  had  been  when  he 
made  it.  Her  one  great  desire  was  to  pay  back  the 
thirty  thousand  pounds  to  her  father,  and  she  wanted 
to  do  it  as  speedily  as  possible.  At  the  end  of  the 
second  year  her  profits  from  the  mine,  including  the 
return  of  the  five  thousand  pounds  which  had  been 
sent  to  Ottawa  as  working. capital,  was  still  about  five 
thousand  pounds  under  the  thirty  thousand  pounds. 
She  looked  forward  eagerly  to  the  time  when  she  would 
be  able  to  pay  the  thirty  thousand  pounds  to  her  father. 
Old  Mr.  Longworth  had  never  spoken  a  word  to  his 
daughter  about  the  money.  She  had  expected  he 
would  ask  her  what  she  had  done  with  it,  but  he  had 
never  mentioned  the  subject.  Her  conscience  troubled 
her  very  frequently  about  the  method  she  had  taken  to 
obtain  the  large  amount.  She  saw  that  her  father  had 
changed  in  his  manner  towards  her  since  that  day.  He 
had  given  her  the  money,  but  he  had  given  it,  as  one 
might  say,  almost  under  compulsion,  and  there  was  no 
doubt  that,  generous  as  he  was,  he  did  not  like  being 
362 


A  WOMAN   INTERVENES.  363 

coerced  into  parting  with  his  money.  Edith  Long- 
worth  had  paid  more  for  the  mine  than  the  amount  of 
cash  she  had  deposited  in  Ottawa.  She  had  paid  for 
it  by  being  cut  off  from  her  father's  confidence.  Now 
he  never  asked  her  advice  about  any  of  his  business 
ventures,  and,  for  the  first  time  in  many  years,  he  had 
taken  a  long  sea-voyage  without  inviting  her  to  accom- 
pany him.  All  this  made  the  girl  more  and  more 
anxious  to  obtain  the  money  to  pay  back  her  indebted- 
ness, and,  if  Wentworth  had  made  the  same  offer  at 
the  end  of  the  second  year  which  he  had  made  at  the 
close  of  the  first,  she  would  have  accepted  it.  The 
offer,  however,  was  not  made,  and  Miss  Longworth 
said  nothing,  but  took  her  share  of  the  profits  and 
put  them  into  the  bank. 

The  plan  of  placing  all  one's  eggs  into  the  same 
basket  is  a  good  one — until  something  happens  to  the 
basket !  It  is  said  that  lightning  never  strikes  twice  in 
the  same  place,  and,  as  the  small  boy  remarked,  "  it 
never  needed  to."  In  Mr.  Longworth's  affairs  light- 
ning struck  in  three  places,  and  in  each  of  those  strokes 
it  hit  a  large  basket.  A  new  law  had  been  passed  in  one 
part  of  the  world  that  vitally  affected  great  interests  he 
held  there.  In  another  part  of  the  world,  at  the  same 
time,  there  occurred  a  revolution,  and  every  business 
in  that  country  stopped  for  the  time  being.  In  still 
another  part  of  the  world  there  had  been  a  commer- 
cial c  isis ;  and,  in  sympathy  with  all  these  financial  dis- 
asters, the  money  market  in  London  was  exceedingly 
stringent. 

Everybody  wanted  to  sell,  and  nobody  wished  to 
buy.  This  unfortunate  combination  of  circumstances 
hit  old  Mr.  Longworth  hard.  It  was  not  that  he  did 


364  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

not  believe  all  his  investments  were  secure,  could  he 
only  weather  the  gale,  but  there  was  an  immediate  need 
of  ready  money  which  it  seemed  absolutely  impossible 
to  obtain.  Day  by  day  his  daughter  saw  him  aging 
perceptibly.  She  knew  worry-was  the  cause  of  this, 
and  she  knew  the  events  that  were  happening  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  world  must  seriously  embarrass  her 
father.  She  longed  to  speak  to  him  about  his  busi- 
ness, but  one  attempt  she  made  in  this  direction  had 
been  very  rudely  rebuffed,  and  she  was  not  a  woman  to 
tempt  a  second  repulse  of  that  kind.  So  she  kept  si- 
lent, and  saw  with  grief  the  havoc  business  troubles 
were  making  with  her  father's  health. 

"  The  old  man,"  said  young  Longworth,  "  seems  to 
be  in  a  corner." 

"  I  do  not  want  you  ever  again  to  allude  to  my  father 
as  the  '  old  man  ' — remember  that !  "  cried  the  girl  in- 
dignantly. 

Young  Longworth  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  said  : 

"  I  don't  think  you  can  insist  on  my  calling  him  a 
young  man  much  longer.  If  he  isn't  an  old  man,  I 
should  like  to  know  who  is  ?  " 

"That  doesn't  matter,"  said  Edith.  "You  must 
not  use  such  a  phrase  again  in  my  hearing.  What  do 
you  mean  by  saying  he  is  in  a  corner  ?  " 

"  Well,"  returned  the  young  man,  "I  don't  know 
much  about  his  business.  He  does  not  take  me  into 
his  confidence  at  all.  In  fact,  the  older  he  grows,  the 
closer  he  gets,  and  the  chances  are  he  will  make  some 
very  bad  speculation  before  long,  if  he  has  not  done  so 
already.  That  is  the  way  with  old  men,  begging  your 
pardon  for  using  the  phrase.  It  is  not  levelled  against 
your  father  in  this  instance,  but  at  old  men  as  a  class, 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  365 

especially  men  who  have  been  successful.  They  seem 
to  resent  anybody  giving  them  advice." 

One  day  Edith  received  a  telegram,  asking  her  to 
come  to  the  office  in  the  City  without  delay.  She  was 
panic-stricken  when  she  read  the  message,  feeling  sure 
her  father  had  been  stricken  down  in  his  office,  and  was 
probably  dying — perhaps  dead.  She  had  feared  some 
such  result  for  a  long  time,  because  of  the  intense 
anxiety  to  which  he  had  been  subjected,  and  he  was  not 
a  man  who  could  be  counselled  to  take  care  of  himself 
on  the  plea  that  he  was  getting  old.  He  resented  any 
intimation  that  he  was  not  as  good  a  business  man  as 
he  had  ever  been,  and  so  it  was  extremely  difficult  to 
get  him  to  listen  to  reason,  if  anyone  had  the  courage 
to  talk  reason  to  him. 

Edith,  without  a  moment's  delay,  sprang  lightly 
into  a  hansom,  and  went  to  the  District  Railway 
without  waiting  for  her  carriage.  From  the  Mansion 
House  Station  another  cab  took  her  quickly  to  her 
father's  office. 

She  was  immensely  relieved,  as  she  passed  through, 
to  see  the  clerks  working  as  if  nothing  particular  had 
happened.  On  entering  her  father's  room,  she  found 
him  pacing  up  and  down  the  apartment,  while  her 
cousin  sat,  apparently  absorbed  in  his  own  affairs,  at 
his  desk.  Her  father  was  evidently  greatly  excited. 

"  Edith,"  he  cried  the  moment  she  entered,  "  where 
is  that  money  I  gave  you  two  years  ago  ?  " 

"  It  is  invested,"  she  answered,  turning  slightly  pale. 

Her  father  laughed — a  hoarse,  dry  laugh. 

"  Just  as  I  thought,"  he  sneered — "  put  in  such  shape 
that  a  person  cannot  touch  a  penny  of  it,  I  suppose.  In 
what  is  it  invested  ?  I  must  have  that  money." 


366  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

"  How  soon  do  you  need  it,  father?  " 

"  I  want  it  just  now,  at  this  moment ;  if  I  don't  have 
that  money  I  am  a  ruined  man." 

"  This  moment,  I  suppose,  means  any  time  to-day, 
before  the  bank  closes  ?  " 

Her  father  looked  at  her  for  a  moment,  then  said : 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  it  means." 

"  I  will  try  and  get  you  the  money  before  that  time." 

"  My  dear  girl,"  he  said  bitterly,  "you  don't  know 
what  you  are  talking  about.  If  you  have  that  money 
invested,  even  if  your  investment  is  worth  three  times 
now  what  it  was  then,  you  could  not  get  a  penny  on  it. 
Don't  you  know  the  state  of  the  London  money 
market?  Don't  you  know  how  close  money  is?  I 
thought'perhaps  you  might  have  some  portion  of  it  yet, 
not  sunk  in  your  silly  investment,  whatever  it  is.  I  have 
never  asked  you  what  it  was.  You  told  me  you  would 
tell  me,  but  you  never  have  done  so.  I  looked  on  that 
money  as  lost.  I  look  on  it  still  as  lost.  If  you  can 
get  me  a  remnant  of  it,  it  will  help  me  now  more  than 
the  whole  amount,  or  double  the  amount,  would  have 
done  at  the  time  f  gave  it  to  you.  What  have  you 
done  with  the  money?  What  is  it  invested  in  ?" 

"  It  is  invested  in  a  mine." 

"  A  mine  !  Of  all  things  in  the  world  in  which  to 
sink  money,  a  mine  is  the  worst.  Just  what  a  woman 
or  a  fool  would  do  !  How  do  you  expect  to  raise  money 
on  a  mine  in  the  present  state  of  the  market  ?  What, 
in  the  name  of  wonder,  made  you  put  it  into  a  mine  ? 
Whose  mine  did  you  buy?" 

"  I  do  not  know  whose  it  was,  father,  but  I  was  willing 
to  tell  you  all  I  knew  at  the  time  you  asked  me,  and 
if  you  ask  me  no\v  v/hat  mine  I  bought,  I  will  tell  you." 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  367 

"Certainly  I  ask  you.     What  mine  did  you  buy?" 

"  I  bought  the  mine  for  which  John  Kenyon  was 
agent." 

The  moment  these  words  were  said,  her  cousin 
sprang  to  his  feet  and  glared  at  her  like  a  man  de- 
mented. 

"  You  bought  that  mine — you  ?  Then  Wentworth 
lied  to  me.  He  said  a  Mr.  Smith  had  given  him  the 
money." 

"  I  am  the  Mr.  Smith,  William." 

"  You  are  the  Mr.  Smith  !  You  are  the  one  who  has 
cheated  me  out  of  that  mine !  " 

"  My  dear  cousin,  the  less  we  say  about  cheating, 
the  better.  I  am  talking  to  my  father  just  now,  and 
I  do  not  wish  to  be  interrupted.  Will  you  be  so  kind 
as  to  leave  the  room  until  my  interview  with  him  is 
over?" 

"  So  you  bought  the  mica-mine,  did  you  ?  Pretend- 
ing to  be  friendly  with  me,  and  knowing  all  the  time 
that  you  were  doing  your  best  to  cheat — 

"  Come,  come  !  "  interrupted  the  old  gentleman  ; 
"  William,  none  of  this.  If  anyone  is  to  talk  roughly 
to  Edith,  it  will  be  I,  not  you.  Come,  sir,  leave  the 
room,  as  she  has  asked  you  to  do.  Now,  my  daughter," 
he  continued,  in  a  much  milder  tone  of  voice,  after 
young  Longworth  had  left  the  office,  "have  you  any 
ready  money?  It  is  no  use  saying  the  mine  is  worth 
a  hundred  thousand  pounds,  or  a  million,  just  now,  if 
you  haven't  the  ready  money.  Edith,  my  child,"  he 
cried,  "  sit  down  with  me  a  moment,  and  I  will  explain 
the  whole  situation  to  you.  It  seems  to  me  that  ever 
since  I  stopped  consulting  you  things  have  gone 
wrong.  Perhaps,  even  if  you  have  the  money,  it  is 


368  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

better  not  to  risk  it  just  now ;  but  one  pound  will  do 
what  two  pounds  will  not  do  a  year  hence,  or  perhaps 
six  months  from  now,  when  this  panic  is  over." 

Edith  sat  down  beside  her  father,  and  heard  from 
him  exactly  how  things  stood.  Then  she  said : 

"All  you  really  need  is  about  fifteen  thousand 
pounds? " 

"  Yes,  that  would  do ;  I'm  sure  that  would  carry  me 
over.  Can  you  get  it  for  me,  my  child  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  more.  I  will  try  to  get  you  the  whole 
amount.  Wait  for  me  here  twenty  minutes  or  half 
an  hour." 

George  Wentworth  was  very  much  surprised  when 
he  saw  Edith  Longworth  enter  his  office.  It  had  been 
many  months  since  she  was  there  before,  and  he  cor- 
dially held  out  his  hand  to  the  girl. 

"  Mr.  Wentworth,"  she  began  at  once,  "  have  you 
any  of  the  money  the  mica-mine  has  brought  you." 

"Yes.  I  invested  the  first  year's  proceeds,  but, 
since  I  got  the  last  amount,  things  have  been  so  shaky 
in  the  City  that  it  is  still  at  the  bank." 

"  Will  you  lend  me — can  you  lend  me  five  thousand 
pounds  of  it?" 

"  Of  course  I  can,  and  will ;  and  very  glad  I  am  to 
get  the  chance  of  doing  so." 

"  Then,  please  write  me  out  a  cheque  for  it  at  once, 
and  whatever  papers  you  want  as  security,  make,  them 
out,  and  I  will  see  that  you  are  secured." 

"Look  here,  Miss  Longworth,"  said  the  young  man, 
placing  his  hands  on  his  hips  and  gazing  at  her,  "  do 
you  mean  to  insult  me  ?  Do  you  not  know  that  the 
reason  I  am  able  to  write  out  a  cheque  for  five  thou- 
sand pounds,  that  will  be  honored,  is  entirely  because 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  369 

you  trusted  your  money  to  me  and  Kenyon  without 
security  ?  Do  you  think  I  want  security  ?  Take  back 
the  word,  Miss  Longworth."' 

"  I  will — I  will,"  she  said  ;  "  but  I  am  in  a  great 
hurry.  Please  write  me  out  the  cheque,  for  I  must 
have  it  before  the  bank  closes." 

The  cheque  was  promptly  written  out  and  handed 
to  her. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  she  said,  "  I  am  not  very  polite 
to-day,  and  rather  abrupt ;  but  I  will  make  up  for  it 
some  other  time." 

And  so,  bidding  the  young  man  good-bye,  she  drove 
to  the  bank,  deposited  the  cheque,  drew  her  own  for 
thirty  thousand  pounds,  and  carried  it  to  her  father. 

"There,"  she  said,  "  are  thirty  thousand  pounds,  and 
I  still  own  the  mine,  or,  at  least,  part  of  it.  All  the 
money  is  made  from  the  cheque  you  gave  me,  or, 
rather,  two-thirds  of  it,  because  one-third  was  never 
touched.  Now,  it  seems  to  me,  father,  that,  if  I  am  a 
good  enough  business  woman  to  more  than  double  my 
money  in  two  years,  I  am  a  good  enough  business 
woman  to  be  consulted  by  my  father  whenever  he  needs 
a  confidant.  My  dear  father,  I  want  to  take  some  of 
the  burden  off  your  shoulders." 

There  were  tears  in  her  father's  eyes  as  he  put  his 
arm  round  her  waist  and  whispered  to  her : 

"  There  is  no  one  in  all  London  like  you,  my  dear 
— no  one,  no  one.  I'll  have  no  more  secrets  from  you, 
my  own  brave  girl." 


CHAPTER   XLI. 

KENYON'S  luck,  as  he  said  to  himself,  had  turned. 
The  second  year  was  even  more  prosperous  than  the 
first,  and  the  third  as  successful  as  the  second.  He 
had  a  steady  market  for  his  mineral,  and,  besides,  he 
had  the  great  advantage  of  knowing  the  rogues  to 
avoid.  Some  new  swindles  he  had  encountered  during 
his  first  year's  experience  had  taught  him  lessons  that 
he  profited  by  in  the  second  and  third.  He  liked  his 
home  in  the  wilderness,  and  he  liked  the  rough  people 
amongst  whom  he  found  himself. 

Notwithstanding  his  renunciation  of  London,  how- 
ever, there  would  now  and  then  come  upon  him  a 
yearning  for  the  big  city,  and  he  promised  himself  a 
trip  there  at  the  end  of  the  third  year.  Wentworth 
had  been  threatening  month  after  month  to  come  out 
and  see  him,  but  something  had  always  interfered. 

Taking  it  all  in  all,  John  liked  it  better  in  the  winter 
than  in  the  summer,  in  spite  of  the  extreme  cold.  The 
cold  was  steady  and  could  be  depended  upon  ;  more- 
over, it  was  healthful  and  invigorating.  In  summer, 
John  never  quite  became  accustomed  to  the  ravages  of 
the  black  fly,  the  mosquito,  and  other  insect  pests  of 
that  region.  His  first  interview  with  the  black  fly  left 
his  face  in  such  a  condition  that  he  was  glad  he  lived 
in  a  wilderness. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  371 

At  the  beginning  of  the  second  winter  John  treated 
himself  to  a  luxury.  He  bought  a  natty  little  French 
Canadian  horse  that  was  very  quick  and  accustomed 
to  the  ice  of  the  river,  which  formed  the  highway  by 
which  he  reached  Burntpine  from  the  mine  in  the  cold 
season.  To  supplement  the  horse,  he  also  got  a  com- 
fortable little  cutter,  and  with  this  turn-out  he  made 
his  frequent  journeys  between  the  mine  and  Burntpine 
with  comfort  and  speed,  wrapped  snugly  in  buffalo 
robes. 

If  London  often  reverted  to  his  mind,  there  was 
another  subject  that  obtruded  itself  even  more  fre- 
quently. His  increased  prosperity  had  something  to 
do  with  this.  He  saw  that,  if  he  was  to  have  a  third 
of  the  receipts  of  the  mine,  he  was  not  to  remain  a 
poor  man  for  very  long,  and  this  fact  gave  him  a 
certain  courage  which  had  been  lacking  before.  He 
wondered  if  she  remembered  him.  Wentworth  had 
said  very  little  about  her  when  he  wrote,  for  his  letters 
were  largely  devoted  to  enthusiastic  eulogies  of  Jennie 
Brewster,  and  Kenyon,  in  spite  of  the  confession  he 
had  made  when  his  case  seemed  hopeless,  was  loath  to 
write  and  ask  his  friend  anything  about  Edith. 

One  day,  on  a  clear  sharp  frosty  winter  morning, 
Kenyon  had  his  little  pony  harnessed  for  his  weekly 
journey  to  Burntpine.  After  the  rougher  part  of  the 
road  between  the  mine  and  the  river  had  been  left  be- 
hind, and  the  pony  got  down  to  her  work  on  the  ice, 
with  the  two  white  banks  of  snow  on  either  side  of  the 
smooth  track,  John  gave  himself  up  to  thinking  about 
the  subject  which  now  so  often  engrossed  his  mind. 
Wrapped  closely  in  his  furs,  with  the  cutter  skimming 
along  the  ice,  these  thoughts  found  a  pleasant  accom- 


372  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

paniment  in  the  silvery  tinkle  of  the  bells  which  jingled 
around  his  horse's  neck.  As  a  general  thing,  he  met 
no  one  on  the  icy  road  from  the  mine  to  the  village. 
Sometimes  there  was  a  procession  of  sleighs  bearing 
supplies  for  his  own  mine  and  those  beyond,  and  when 
this  procession  was  seen,  Kenyon  had  to  look  out  for 
some  place  by  the  side  of  the  track  where  he  could  pull 
up  his  horse  and  cutter  and  allow  the  teams  to  pass. 
The  snow  on  each  side  of  the  cutting  was  so  deep  that 
these  bays  were  shovelled  out  here  and  there  to  permit 
teams  to  get  past  each  other.  He  had  gone  halfway 
to  the  village,  when  he  saw  ahead  of  him  a  pair  of 
horses  which  he  at  once  recognized  as  those  belonging 
to  the  hotel-keeper.  He  drew  up  in  the  first  bay  and 
awaited  the  approach  of  the  sleigh.  He  saw  that  it 
contained  visitors  for  himself,  because  the  driver,  on 
recognizing  him,  had  turned  round  and  spoken  to  the 
occupants  of  the  vehicle.  As  it  came  along,  the  man 
drew  up  and  nodded  to  Kenyon,  who,  although  ordi- 
narily the  most  polite  of  men,  did  not  return  the 
salutation.  He  was  stricken  dumb  with  astonishment 
at  seeing  who  was  in  the  sleigh.  One  woman  was  so 
bundled  up  that  not  even  her  nose  appeared  out  in  the 
cold,  but  the  smiling  rosy  face  of  the  other  needed  no 
introduction  to  John  Kenyon. 

"Well,  Mr.  Kenyon,"  cried  a  laughing  voice,  "you 
did  not  expect  to  see  me  this  morning,  did  you?" 

"  I    confess  I   did  not,"  said  John,  "  and  yet — 
Here  he  paused  ;  he  was  going  to  say,  "  and  yet  I  was 
thinking  of  you,"  but  he  checked  himself. 

Miss  Longworth,  who  had  a  talent  for  reading  the 
unspoken  thoughts  of  John  Kenyon,  probably  did  not 
need  to  be  told  the  end  of  the  sentence. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  373 

"Are  you  going  to  the  village  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  was  going :  I  am  not  going  now." 

"  That's  right.  I  was  just  about  to  invite  you  to 
turn  round  with  us.  You  see,  we  are  on  our  way  to 
look  at  the  mine,  and,  I  suppose,  we  shall  have  to  ob- 
tain the  consent  of  the  manager  before  we  can  do  so." 

Miss  Longworth's  companion  had  emerged  for  a 
moment  from  her  wraps  and  looked  at  John,  but  in- 
stantly retired  among  the  furs  again  with  a  shiver. 
She  was  not  so  young  as  her  companion,  and  she  con- 
sidered this  the  most  frightful  climate  she  had  ever 
encountered. 

"  Now,"  said  John,  "  although  your  sleigh  is  very 
comfortable,  I  think  this  cutter  of  mine  is  even  more 
so.  It  is  intended  for  two ;  won't  you  step  out  of  the 
sleigh  into  the  cutter  ?  Then,  if  the  driver  will  move 
on,  I  can  turn,  and  we  will  follow  the  sleigh." 

"I  shall  be  delighted  to  do  so,"  said  the  young 
woman,  shaking  herself  free  from  the  buffalo  robe,  and 
stepping  lightly  from  the  sleigh  into  the  cutter,  paus- 
ing, however,  for  a  moment  before  she  did  so,  to  put 
her  own  wraps  over  her  companion.  John  tucked  her 
in  beside  himself,  and,  as  the  sleigh  jingled  on,  he 
slowly  turned  his  pony  round  into  the  road  again. 

"  I  have  got  a  pretty  fast  pony,"  he  said,  "  but  I 
think  we  will  let  them  drive  on  ahead.  It  irritates 
this  little  horse  to  see  anything  in  front  of  her." 

"  Then  we  can  make  up  speed,"  said  Edith,  "  and 
catch  them  before  they  get  to  the  mine.  Is  it  far 
from  here  ?  " 

"  No,  not  very  far ;  at  least,  it  doesn't  take  long  to 
get  there  with  a  smart  horse." 

"I  have  enjoyed  this  experience  ever  so  much,"  she 


374  A  WOMAN  INTERVENES. 

said;  "you  see,  my  father  had  to  come  to  Montreal 
on  business,  so  I  came  with  him,  as  usual,  and,  being 
there,  I  thought  I  would  run  up  here  and  seethe  mine. 
I  wanted,"  she  continued,  looking  at  the  other  side  of 
the  cutter  and  trailing  her  well-gloved  fingers  in  the 
snow — "  I  wanted  to  know  personally  whether  my 
manager  was  conducting  my  property  in  the  way  it 
ought  to  be  conducted,  notwithstanding  the  very 
satisfactory  balance-sheets  he  sends." 

"  Your  property  !"  exclaimed  John,  in  amazement. 

"Certainly.  You  didn't  know  that,  did  you?"  she 
replied,  looking  for  a  moment  at  him,  and  then  away 
from  him.  "  I  call  myself  the  Mistress  of  the  Mine." 

"  Then  you  are-    you  are ' 

"  Mr.  Smith,"  said  the  girl,  coming  to  his  rescue. 

There  was  a  moment's  pause,  and  the  next  words 
John  said  were  not  at  all  what  she  expected. 

"  Take  your  hand  out  of  the  snow,"  he  commanded, 
"  and  put  it  in  under  the  buffalo  robe  ;  you  have  no 
idea  how  cold  it  is  here,  and  your  hand  will  be  frozen 
in  a  moment." 

"  Really,"  said  the  girl,  "  an  employee  must  not  talk 
to  his  employer  in  that  tone !  My  hand  is  my  own,  is 
it  not?" 

"  I  hope  it  is,"  said  John,  "  because  I  want  to  ask 
you  for  it." 

For  answer,  Miss  Edith  Longworth  placed  her  hand 
in  his. 

Actions  speak  louder  than  words.  The  sleigh  was 
far  in  advance,  and  there  were  no  witnesses  on  the 
white-topped  hills. 

"  Were  you  astonished  ?  "  she  said,  "  when  I  told  you 
that  I  owned  the  mine?  " 


"  THERK    \VKKK    NO    WITNESSES   OX    THE    WHITE-TOPPED    HILLS.  "—Page  jfj. 


A  WOMAN  INTERVENES.  375 

"Very  much  so  indeed.  Were  you  astonished  when 
I  told  you  I  wished  to  own  the  owner  of  the  mine?" 

"  Not  in  the  slightest." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  your  treacherous  friend  Wentworth  sent 
me  your  letter  applying  for  a  situation.  You  got  the 
situation,  didn't  you,  John?" 

THE   END. 


ONE  ESTIMATE  OF  MR.  BARR. 


Mr.  Julian  Ralph,  the  well-known  magazine 
writer  and  newspaper  correspondent,  writes  of 
MR.  BARR  as  follows  :  &  &  &  & 


"  You  have  read  his  short  stories,  of  course,  now  gathered  together 
in  a  book  called  ' The  Face  and  the  Mask.'  If  so,  you  remember  'The 
Bruiser's  Courtship*  and  '  The  Typewritten  Letter*  Everybody  talks 
of  them,  and  they  are  good,  but  the  story  that  made  me  stand  right  up 
and  bow  to  the  man  is  that  one  in  which  he  depicts  the  conditions  on  board 
a  transatlantic  liner  that  has  a  hold  full  of  burning  cotton.  It  is  so 
clever  that  you  scarcely  believe  it  can  be  done,  even  after  you  have  read  it. 
You  are  made  to  share  the  interest  of  the  passengers  in  a  silly  case  of  petty 
rivalry  between  two  women,  while,  at  the  same  time,  you  obtain  a  secret 
and  startling  knowledge  that  all  the  passengers  are  being  carried  along  on 
top  of  a  volcano  that  may  belch  at  any  instant.  You  draw  an  easy  breath 
•when  a  sister  ship  is  hailed  and  stops  her  engines,  as  you  think,  to  rescue 
your  ship  full  of  acquaintances. 

"But,  Heavens  !  She  is  in  even  a  worse  plight,  and  Death  is  astride 
her  prow,  also!  Nobody  knows  all  this  but  you  and  the  officers  of  the 
two  ships,  and  when  both  are  rescued  it  all  comes  out — as  nobody  else 
ever  would  have  thought  of  bringing  it  out — in  the  'Ah,  really  ;  do  tell !  ' 
sort  of  chatter  of  two  frivolous  persons  who  meet  on  the  shore.  Did  you 
read  the  story?  I  really  think  there  is  more  skill,  more  imagination, 
and  more  genius  in  that  little  trifle  than  in  many  a  fat  novel  that  has 
made  a  sensation  in  the  last  two  years.  *  *  * 

"  '  In  the  Midst  of  Alarms '  is  nothing  but  the  story  of  a  story-teller, 
a  born  story-teller,  who  comes  swinging  into  your  library  with  a  head 
full  of  fun  and  lively  spirits  and  good  nature,  blended  with  a  very  cun- 
ning knack  at  repartee  and  bright  dialogue.  You  are  never  for  an  in- 
stant bored  or  sorry  or  ashamed  that  he  came.  You  can  introduce  him 
to  anyone,  and  he  will  roll  up  the  curtain  'before  his  stage  and  set  his 
characters  moving  through  his  charming  comedy  before  the  children  are 
sent  to  bed,  quite  as  fittingly  as  when  the  old  man  is  alone  in  the  library, 
cigar  in  hand,  and  feet  upon  a  second  chair ." 


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